caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə 

kȯl-,

-ˈdir- 

: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence

Did you know?

A large, bowl-shaped volcanic depression, a caldera forms when the top of a volcanic cone collapses into the space left after magma is ejected during a violent volcanic eruption. Its diameter is many times that of the original vent. The term is Spanish for "caldron." Subsequent minor eruptions may build small cones on the floor of the caldera, and the caldera may still later fill up with water; an example of this is Crater Lake in Oregon.

Examples of caldera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kilauea began continuously releasing lava from its summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday morning after a weeklong pause, the U.S. Geological Survey said. —CBS News, 21 Mar. 2025

Luxury hotels, houses, and dining spots, painted in pastel shades, earthy tones and classic white, now cling to the dramatic caldera rim that frames the ancient sunken volcano hidden below the Aegean’s navy waters. —Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025

The caldera stretches 125 miles under the Bay of Naples to the city’s western limits, and out to the islands of Capri and Ischia. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025

The seismic activity is occurring across a vast caldera, formed by an eruption of the Campi Flegrei super volcano more than two million years ago. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, cauldron, from Late Latin caldaria — more at cauldron

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for caldera

• aspera
• barbera
• barrera
• cascara
• chimaera
• chimera
• cordillera
• diptera
• drosera
• mascara
• patera
• provera

Kids Definition

caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə  kȯl- 

-ˈdir-

: a large crater formed by the collapse of a volcanic cone or by an explosion