English Reference
noun

eruption

n.
US /ˌiˈɹəpʃən/ UK /ɪɹˈʌpʃən/ erup·tion UK spelling eruptions

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    the moment when a volcano throws out hot lava, ash, and gas.

    the sudden and violent ejection of volcanic material, such as lava, tephra, and gases, from a vent in the Earth's crust.

    Simple

    The massive eruption of the volcano forced thousands of people to leave their homes.

    In context

    Geologists monitored the seismic activity for weeks, yet the eventual eruption was more powerful than any of their models had predicted.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    a sudden, loud burst of noise or a strong showing of feeling.

    a sudden and violent outbreak of noise, activity, or emotion from a person or group.

    Simple

    An eruption of laughter filled the room after he told the joke.

    In context

    The referee's controversial decision triggered an immediate eruption of anger from the home crowd, leading to a brief delay in the match.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    a sudden appearance of spots or a rash on your skin.

    the sudden appearance of a rash, spots, or other lesions on the skin, often as a symptom of an underlying infection.

    Simple

    The doctor examined the red eruption on the child's arm to see if it was an allergy.

    In context

    The patient presented with a painful eruption of small blisters across the torso, characteristic of a viral infection.

Mount Etna’s eruption led to the cancellation of more than a third of the 1,974 flights between Thursday of last week and Wednesday of this week.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

A leading theory for the source of that carbon dioxide involves volcanic eruptions.

The Conversation· 13 Aug 2026

From Middle French éruption, from Latin eruptio.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated