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Definition of vesuvius

vesuvius

/vəˈsuːviəs/
Ve · su · vi · us
Plural:vesuviuses
•
Adjective:Vesuvian
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vesuvius Lexical Profile

• noun

1

An active stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, southern Italy, famous for its catastrophic eruption in 79 AD that buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

2

British A type of nineteenth-century windproof match with a large combustible head that burned fiercely like a miniature volcano, used primarily for lighting cigars outdoors.

Example

"The gentleman struck a vesuvius against his boot heel to light his cigar in the brisk coastal wind."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for vesuvius

• Rhymes for vesuvius

• Nearby Words

vestless
vestment
vestry
vesuvius
vet
vetch
veteran

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Vesuvius. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/vesuvius
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