volcanic glass

American  

noun

1. a natural glass produced when molten lava cools very rapidly; obsidian.

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volcanic glass British  

noun

1. any of several glassy volcanic igneous rocks, such as obsidian and pitchstone

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volcanic glass Scientific  

1. Natural glass produced by the cooling of molten lava too quickly to permit crystallization. Obsidian is a type of volcanic glass.

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Etymology

Origin of volcanic glass

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Cryptotephra are signature volcanic glass shards that can range from 80-20 microns in size, which is smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2024

In 2008, Brown University researchers revisited those lunar samples with new technology and found hydrogen inside tiny beads of volcanic glass.

From Reuters • Aug. 22, 2023

Perlite, a form of volcanic glass, that was piled on the roof soaked up rain water, causing it to collapse at 15:00 local time Sunday, investigators say.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2023

The hydrochloric acid and tiny particles of volcanic glass released into the air can cause skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2021

The knives were old things: the hilts were made of bone, while the blades were chipped, volcanic glass, black as jet, with white snowflake-shapes frozen forever into the obsidian.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman