krakatoa
krakatoa Lexical Profile
• noun
A volcanic island situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, globally renowned for its highly destructive and world-altering eruption in 1883.
"The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa generated a shockwave that circled the globe multiple times and caused global temperatures to drop for years."
Word Nuance & Usage
While primarily a geographical proper noun, Krakatoa is occasionally invoked metaphorically in English to describe an event of world-shattering explosiveness or an unprecedentedly loud noise.
• Rhymes for krakatoa
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Indonesian 'Krakatau'. Its ultimate linguistic origin is debated; theories suggest it may be onomatopoeic (imitating the cry of local parrots), derived from the Sanskrit word 'karka' (crab), or from the Malay word 'kelakatu' (white ant).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.