Volcanic bomb, a mass ejected from a volcano, often of molten lava
having a rounded form. — Volcanic cone, a hill, conical in form, built
up of cinders, tufa, or lava, during volcanic eruptions. — Volcanic
foci, the subterranean centers of volcanic action; the points beneath
volcanoes where the causes producing volcanic phenomena are most
active. — Volcanic glass, the vitreous form of lava, produced by sudden
cooling; obsidian. See Obsidian. — Volcanic mud, fetid, sulphurous mud
discharged by a volcano. — Volcanic rocks, rocks which have been
produced from the discharges of volcanic matter, as the various kinds
of basalt, trachyte, scoria, obsidian, etc., whether compact,
scoriaceous, or vitreous.
Vol*can"ic*al*ly (?), adv. Like a volcano.
Vol`can*ic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. volcanicité.] Quality or state of being
volcanic; volcanic power.
Vol"can*ism (?), n. Volcanic power or action; volcanicity.
Vol"can*ist, n. [Cf. F. volcaniste, vulcaniste.] 1. One versed in the
history and phenomena of volcanoes.
2. One who believes in the igneous, as opposed to the aqueous, origin
of the rocks of the earth's crust; a vulcanist. Cf. Neptunist.
Vol*can"i*ty (?), n. [See Volcanic, and Volcanicity.] The quality or
state of being volcanic, or volcanic origin; volcanicity. [R.]
Vol`can*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of volcanizing, or the state of being
volcanized; the process of undergoing volcanic heat, and being affected
by it.
Vol"can*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volcanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Volcanizing (?).] [Cf. Vulcanize.] To subject to, or cause to undergo,
volcanic heat, and to be affected by its action.
Vol*ca"no (?), n.; pl. Volcanoes (#). [It. volcano, vulcano, fr. L.
Vulcanus Vulkan, the god of fire. See Vulkan.] (Geol.) A mountain or
hill, usually more or less conical in form, from which lava, cinders,
steam, sulphur gases, and the like, are ejected; — often popularly
called a burning mountain.
Volcanoes include many of the most conspicuous and lofty mountains of
the earth, as Mt. Vesuvius in Italy (4,000 ft. high), Mt. Loa in Hawaii
(14,000 ft.), Cotopaxi in South America (nearly 20,000 ft.), which are
examples of active volcanoes. The crater of a volcano is usually a
pit-shaped cavity, often of great size. The summit crater of Mt. Loa
has a maximum length of 13,000 ft., and a depth of nearly 800 feet.
Beside the chief crater, a volcano may have a number of subordinate
craters.
Vole (?), n. [F.] A deal at cards that draws all the tricks. Swift.
Vole, v. i. (Card Playing) To win all the tricks by a vole. Pope.
Vole, n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of micelike rodents
belonging to Arvicola and allied genera of the subfamily Arvicolinæ.
They have a thick head, short ears, and a short hairy tail.
The water vole, or water rat, of Europe (Arvicola amphibius) is a
common large aquatic species. The short-tailed field vole (A. agrestis)
of Northern and Central Europe, and Asia, the Southern field vole (A.
arvalis), and the Siberian root vole (A. œconomus), are important
European species. The common species of the Eastern United States (A.
riparius) (called also meadow mouse) and the prairie mouse (A.
austerus) are abundant, and often injurious to vegetation. Other
species are found in Canada.
Vol"er*y (?), n. [F. volerie a flying, volière a large bird cage, fr.
voler to fly, L. volare. See Volatile.]