Volcanoes

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Volcano \Vol*ca"no\, n.; pl. {Volcanoes}. [It. volcano, vulcano,
     fr. L. Vulcanus Vulkan, the god of fire. See {Vulkan}.]
     (Geol.)
     A mountain or hill, usually more or less conical in form,
     from which lava, cinders, steam, sulphur gases, and the like,
     are ejected; -- often popularly called a {burning mountain}.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Volcanoes include many of the most conspicuous and
           lofty mountains of the earth, as Mt. Vesuvius in Italy
           (4,000 ft. high), Mt. Loa in Hawaii (14,000 ft.),
           Cotopaxi in South America (nearly 20,000 ft.), which
           are examples of active volcanoes. The crater of a
           volcano is usually a pit-shaped cavity, often of great
           size. The summit crater of Mt. Loa has a maximum length
           of 13,000 ft., and a depth of nearly 800 feet. Beside
           the chief crater, a volcano may have a number of
           subordinate craters.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  volcano
       n 1: a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some
            other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
            [syn: {vent}]
       2: a mountain formed by volcanic material
       [also: {volcanoes} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  volcanoes
       See {volcano}