A volcano is a mountain from which hot melted rock, gas, steam, and ash from inside the Earth sometimes burst.
The volcano erupted last year killing about 600 people.
Etna is Europe's most active volcano.
volcano in British English
(vɒlˈkeɪnəʊ)
nounWord forms: plural-noes or -nos
1.
an opening in the earth's crust from which molten lava, rock fragments, ashes, dust, and gases are ejected from below the earth's surface
2.
a mountain formed from volcanic material ejected from a vent in a central crater
Word origin
C17: from Italian, from Latin VolcānusVulcan1, whose forges were believed to be responsible for volcanic rumblings
volcano in American English
(vɑlˈkeɪnoʊ; vɔlˈkeɪnoʊ)
nounWord forms: pluralvolˈcanoes or volˈcanos
1.
a vent in the earth's crust through which molten rock (lava), rock fragments, gases, ashes, etc. are ejected from the earth's interior: a volcano is active while erupting, dormant during a long period of inactivity, or extinct when all activity has finally ceased
2.
a cone-shaped hill or mountain, wholly or chiefly of volcanic materials, built up around the vent, usually so as to form a crater