volcanic glass

noun

: natural glass produced by the cooling of molten lava too rapidly to permit crystallization

Examples of volcanic glass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Other hazards include Pele's hair -- strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity -- crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 June 2025 Additional hazards include Pele's hair (strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity) and other volcanic fragments that can fall on the ground within a few hundred yards of the eruptive vents, the USGS said. CBS News, 12 June 2025 This curious form of volcanic glass forms when liquid lava is thrown into the air during eruptions. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2025 Large plagioclase feldspar crystals can be seen below the hornblende, all embedded in a matrix of volcanic glass and feldspar crystals. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for volcanic glass

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of volcanic glass was in 1780

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Cite this Entry

“Volcanic glass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volcanic%20glass. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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