pyroclastic

American

[pahy-ruh-klas-tik] / ˌpaɪ rəˈklæs tɪk /

adjective

Geology.

composed chiefly of fragments of volcanic origin, as agglomerate, tuff, and certain other rocks; volcaniclastic.

pyroclastic British

/ ˌpaɪrəʊˈklæstɪk /

adjective

(of rocks) formed from the solid fragments ejected during a volcanic eruption

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pyroclastic Scientific

/ pī′rō-klăs′tĭk /

Composed chiefly of rock fragments of explosive origin, especially those associated with explosive volcanic eruptions. Volcanic ash, obsidian, and pumice are examples of pyroclastic materials.

Etymology

Origin of pyroclastic

First recorded in 1885–90; pyro- + clastic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They saw no evidence of magma, lahars, or pyroclastic flows.

From Literature

The initial pyroclastic flow and blasts expired within minutes, but the vertical eruptions went on throughout the day.

From Literature

However, the heat of the pyroclastic flow at noon melted several glaciers and significantly added to the flow of water and mud that had begun earlier in the day.

From Literature

“Back in 1980,” explained Janine Krippner, a volcanologist who has done research on the pyroclastic flows on Mount St. Helens, “you had these seismographs printed on paper.”

From Literature

The rise and collapse of the eruption column presaged a series of pyroclastic surges, the fourth of which killed everyone in its path in Pompeii.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023