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]

" 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]

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Volcano, n. (pl. -oes)
1 a mountain or hill having an opening or openings in the earth's crust through which lava, cinders, steam, gases, etc., are or have been expelled continuously or at intervals.
2 a a state of things likely to cause a violent outburst. b a violent esp. suppressed feeling.

Etymology

It. f. L Volcanus Vulcan, Roman god of fire

top

THESAURUS

Volcano

belch, burst, cascade, debouchment, dissiliency, eructation, eruption, flare-up, gush, jet, outbreak, outburst, rapids, rush, spate, spew, spurt, torrent, volcan

top

ROGET THESAURUS

Volcano

Pitfall

N pitfall, rocks, reefs, coral reef, sunken rocks, snags, sands, quicksands, syrt, syrtis, Goodwin sands, sandy foundation, slippery ground, breakers, shoals, shallows, bank, shelf, flat, lee shore, ironbound coast, rock ahead, breakers ahead, precipice, maelstrom, volcano, ambush, pitfall, trapdoor, trap, sword of Damocles, wolf at the door, snake in the grass, death in the pot, latency, ugly customer, dangerous person, le chat qui dort, firebrand, hornet's nest, latet anquis in herba, proximus ardet Ucalegon.

Violence

N violence, inclemency, vehemence, might, impetuosity, boisterousness, effervescence, ebullition, turbulence, bluster, uproar, callithump, riot, row, rumpus, le diable a quatre, devil to pay, all the fat in the fire, severity, ferocity, rage, fury, exacerbation, exasperation, malignity, fit, paroxysm, orgasm, climax, aphrodisia, force, brute force, outrage, coup de main, strain, shock, shog, spasm, convulsion, throe, hysterics, passion, outbreak, outburst, debacle, burst, bounce, dissilience, discharge, volley, explosion, blow up, blast, detonation, rush, eruption, displosion, torrent, turmoil, ferment, storm, tempest, rough weather, squall, earthquake, volcano, thunderstorm, berserk, berserker, fury, dragon, demon, tiger, beldame, Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto, madcap, wild beast, fire eater, violent, vehement, warm, acute, sharp, rough, rude, ungentle, bluff, boisterous, wild, brusque, abrupt, waspish, impetuous, rampant, turbulent, disorderly, blustering, raging, troublous, riotous, tumultuary, tumultuous, obstreperous, uproarious, extravagant, unmitigated, ravening, inextinguishable, tameless, frenzied, desperate, infuriate, furious, outrageous, frantic, hysteric, in hysterics, fiery, flaming, scorching, hot, red-hot, ebullient, savage, fierce, ferocious, fierce as a tiger, excited, unquelled, unquenched, unextinguished, unrepressed, unbridled, unruly, headstrong, ungovernable, unappeasable, immitigable, unmitigable, uncontrollable, incontrollable, insuppressible, irrepressible, orgastic, orgasmatic, orgasmic, spasmodic, convulsive, explosive, detonating, volcanic, meteoric, stormy, violently, amain, by storm, by force, by main force, with might and main, tooth and nail, vi et armis, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, at one fell swoop, with a high hand, through thick and thin, in desperation, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, headlong, head foremost, furor arma ministrat, blown with restless violence round about the pende.

Furnace

N furnace, stove, kiln, oven, cracker, hearth, focus, combustion chamber, athanor, hypocaust, reverberatory, volcano, forge, fiery furnace, limekiln, Dutch oven, tuyere, brasier, salamander, heater, warming pan, boiler, caldron, seething caldron, pot, urn, kettle, chafing-dish, retort, crucible, alembic, still, waffle irons, muffle furnace, induction furnace, electric heater, electric furnace, electric resistance heat, open-hearth furnace, fireplace, gas fireplace, coal fire, wood fire, fire-dog, fire- irons, grate, range, kitchener, caboose, camboose, poker, tongs, shovel, ashpan, hob, trivet, andiron, gridiron, ashdrop, frying-pan, stew-pan, backlog, hearth, inglenook, oil burner, gas burner, Franklin stove, pot-bellied stove, wood-burning stove, central heating, steam heat, hot water heat, gas heat, forced hot air, electric heat, heat pump, solar heat, convective heat, hothouse, bakehouse, washhouse, laundry, conservatory, sudatory, Turkish bath, Russian bath, vapor bath, steam bath, sauna, warm bath, vaporarium.