Volcano
/vɒlˈkeɪ.noʊ/noun
A mountain or hill, typically conical, formed by the eruption of molten lava, rock fragments, and gases from the earth's crust.
Did you know?The term 'volcano' comes from the name of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, who was believed to forge weapons for the gods in his fiery workshops beneath the earth.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
Vulcanus
“The Roman god of fire, associated with volcanoes.”
14th Century
Italian
vulcano
“Derived from 'Vulcanus', used to refer to fiery mountains.”
16th Century
Spanish
volcán
“Adopted from Italian, referring to a mountain from which lava erupts.”
17th Century
English
volcano
“Introduced into English, directly from the Italian term.”