Also 7–9 vulcano. Pl. volcanoes (7–9 -os, -o’s). [a. It. volcano (Florio, 1598), vulcano (Florio, 1611):—L. Vol-, Vulcānum, acc. of Volcānus VULCAN. Cf. VOLCAN.]
1. Physiogr. A more or less conical hill or mountain, composed wholly or chiefly of discharged matter, communicating with the interior of the globe by a funnel or crater, from which in periods of activity steam, gases, ashes, rocks, and freq. streams of molten materials are ejected.
See also mud-, pseudo-volcano s.v. MUD sb. 5, PSEUDO- 2.
α. 1613. Purchas, Pilgr., VIII. xiv. 686. A Vulcano or flaming hill, the fire whereof may be seene … aboue 100 miles.
1663. J. Spencer, Prodigies (1665), 85. They regarded those mighty Vulcanos as the Courts of Pluto.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 25. He that would needs peep into mount Vesuvius, and search the depth of its vulcano’s.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxxix. IV. 42. The vulcano of Lipari, one of the flaming mouths of the infernal world.
1830. W. Taylor, Hist. Surv. Germ. Poetry, II. 467. Unusual events, earthquakes, inundations, and vulcanoes altered the face of the planet.
β. 1690. T. Burnet, Theory Earth, II. 55. The burning mountains or volcano’s of the earth.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., 271. The seeds of subterraneous minerals … sometimes cause earthquakes and furious eruptions of volcano’s.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World, II. 66. A volcano, or burning vent among the hills.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., III. 220. Volcano’s bellow ere they disembogue.
1773. Brydone, Tour Sicily, ii. (1809), 16. Of all the volcanoes we read of, Strombolo seems to be the only one that burns without ceasing.
1781. Cowper, Heroism, 85. Some heav’n-protected isle, Where no volcano pours his fiery flood.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., § 221. Hill country [in the moon] broken up in the most tremendous manner by volcanoes of all sizes.
1877. Huxley, Physiogr., 198. Submarine volcanoes occasionally give rise to new land.
fig. 1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, xiv. Literature, Wks. (Bohn), II. 113. The island is a roaring volcano of fate, of material values,… glutted markets, and low prices.
1898. D. C. Murray, Tales, 207. You’re going to offer your old second-hand volcano of a heart to that fresh innocence?
b. An eruption or discharge of flame.
1716–20. Lett. Mist’s Jrnl. (1722), I. 65. The very Eruptions, or Vulcano’s of Flame, which … are observed to burst out from it on all Sides.
c. transf. (See quots.)
1784. Cowper, Task, III. 737. The eclipse That metropolitan volcano’s [sc. chimneys] make, Whose Stygian throats breathe darkness all day long.
1890. Cent. Dict., Fizgig, a firework, made of damp powder, which makes a hissing or fizzing noise when ignited; in one form called by boys a volcano.
2. fig. A violent feeling or passion, esp. one in a suppressed state.
1697. Sir T. P. Blount, Ess., 143. Blow him into a Flame, and you may see Vulcano’s, Hurricans and Borasco’s in him.
1825. W. H. Maxwell, O’Hara; or, 1798, I. viii. 138. The former seemed raised almost to madness, and was labouring with a volcano of rage which O’Hara’s caution barely kept from bursting.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., ii. A whole volcano of bitter feelings burned in his bosom, and sent streams of fire through his veins.
1872. Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxv. 352. Nursing this volcano of wrath in his breast.
1883. Meredith, Woods of Westermain, iii. Love, the great volcano, flings Fires of lower Earth to sky.
b. A state of things liable to burst out violently at some time.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, ix. On the edge of a moral volcano that rumbled under my feet.
1890. Spectator, 10 May. An outburst of the social volcano which some think exists below modern society.
3. attrib., as volcano-fire, immortality, land, -mountain, etc.; volcano-ship, a kind of fire-ship.
1772–84. Cook’s Voy. (1790), VI. 2174. The next, a volcano-mountain, may readily be known by the smoke issuing from the top.
1804. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Ep. to Ld. Mayor, Wks. 1812, V. 208. A great city orator … and elève of John Wilkes, Of volcano immortality.
1821. Shelley, Hellas, 589. Like mountain-twins that from each other’s veins Catch the volcano-fire and earthquake-spasm.
1845. Bailey, Festus (ed. 2), 133. As these scenes, Fire-fountains, and volcano-utterances,… evince.
1860. Motley, Netherl., xiii. II. 157. York … had distinguished himself … by … having sprung on board the burning volcano-ship at the siege of Antwerp.
1880. Meredith, Tragic Com. (1881), 62. I have seen the other face of it … It is the old volcano land.
