Skip to main content
volcanic rock

volcanic rock

5 3.6
A hard rock made when hot melted rock cools on or near the Earth's surface
  • noun
  • /vɑlˈkænɪk rɑk/
  • Specialized
: roca volcánica
  • The island of Rapa Nui was formed from volcanic rock millions of years ago.

Well, perlite is an expanded volcanic rock that is really, really lightweight.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • In truth, the effect is caused by gas escaping from volcanic rocks on the sea floor.

    Blog text (7)
  • It's actually a volcanic rock that's been expanded and it crushes very easily.

  • Now volcanic rocks in particular form like this one here, this is a volcanic rock.

  • We are looking at a steep cliff face composed of black volcanic rock.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The structure was embedded partially in ice and volcanic rock, which helped to preserve it.

    Blog text (24)
  • There's a lot of volcanic rock and this rock actually is buildable material as well.

  • The porous volcanic rock results in a lack of perennial streams, but springs are present on the lower slopes of the volcanoes.

    Academic text (2004)
  • You've got these volcanic rock formations where there's all these crevasses, crevasse and tunnels.

  • Although forever marked with patches of sun-struck sagebrush and dark outcroppings of volcanic rock, Ravensfield Valley in June was as green and glorious as it would ever be.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Iceland, which is itself a mass of volcanic rock erupted from the submarine meeting point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, was effectively split apart.

    Academic text (2010)

Synonyms

basalt
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
7 7.2

A dark, heavy rock made when lava cools

is the broad igneous category that covers all lava-formed rocks
obsidian
vsvolcanic rock
7 7.9

A hard dark rock made when lava cools quickly and becomes like glass with a smooth shiny surface

is the broader igneous class that includes both glassy and crystalline forms
volcanic glass
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A hard shiny rock made when hot lava cools and hardens very fast

is the igneous category that also includes slowly cooled crystalline rocks
rhyolite
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A light-coloured volcanic rock made when thick lava cools quickly and forms tiny crystals

is the general igneous type not limited to high silica compositions
dacite
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A grey volcanic rock with many small crystals

is the general igneous group not limited to those specific minerals
andesite
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dark volcanic rock made from lava near volcanoes

is the broad igneous class that includes many compositions
pillow lava
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
1 7.0

Lava that hardens into rounded, pillow-like masses after erupting under the sea

is the igneous product formed at or near the surface, not only underwater
tachylite
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
9.9

A dark, glassy volcanic rock that forms when hot lava cools very fast

is the broad igneous category not limited to dark basaltic glass
peperino
vsvolcanic rock
  • Specialized
9.9

A rock made from volcanic ash and small pieces of lava used for building

is the general igneous type not focused on fragmental building stone

How Plutonic

plutonic rock
  • Specialized
8.7
volcanic rock
  • Specialized
5 3.6

Surface Forms

volcanic rock singular

Morphology

volcanic + rock

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'volcanic' (related to volcanoes, lava or ash) + 'rock' (natural solid mineral material), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to rock formed by volcanic activity. This is a common, cross-linguistically consistent noun phrase following standard English adjective + noun composition, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Volcanic rock comes from a simple picture: when a volcano erupts, very hot melted rock called lava cools and hardens into solid rock, so the word volcanic, meaning 'from a volcano', plus rock describes that stone. That's why 'volcanic rock' means 'rock made from lava'.