Volcano Is Named After the Roman God of Fire
A volcano is an opening where molten rock reaches the surface. It takes its name from Vulcan, whose forge was believed to lie beneath a Sicilian island.
A volcano is a vent through which magma reaches the earth's surface. The name comes from Vulcano, an island off Sicily, believed by the Romans to sit above the forge of *Vulcanus*, god of fire. The island gave its name to the whole class of mountain, and the god's name is still in the rock: *vulcanised* rubber is treated with heat and sulphur.
- An opening emitting magma. *An active volcano.*
- A mountain formed by one. *The volcano's slopes.*
- Volcanic — relating to volcanoes. *Volcanic ash.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | volcano | A dormant volcano. |
| Plural | volcanoes | Pacific volcanoes. |
| Adjective | volcanic | Volcanic rock. |
| Noun | vulcanology | A degree in vulcanology. |
| Related | magma | Rising magma. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The volcano has been dormant for centuries.Not extinct.
- Ash grounded flights across Europe.Volcanic ash damages jet engines.
- Magma becomes lava when it reaches the surface.The technical distinction.
Volcano vocabulary
- Magma and lava — the same rock below and above ground
- Caldera — a large crater formed by collapse
- Pyroclastic flow — the fast, hot, deadly cloud of gas and rock
- Shield volcano — broad and gently sloping, from runny lava
- Stratovolcano — steep and layered, and more explosive
From Italian *volcano*, from Latin *Vulcanus*, the god of fire and metalworking. The island of Vulcano provided the name for the entire phenomenon.
Magma or lava?
Magma is molten rock below the surface; once it erupts it is lava. Same material, different address.
Dormant or extinct?
Dormant means not erupting now but capable of it. Extinct means not expected to erupt again, a judgement that is occasionally revised.