geyser

noun

gey·​ser ˈgī-zər 

 British also  ˈgē-zə,

 for sense 1 and usually  for sense 2 ˈgē-zə

1

: a spring that throws forth intermittent jets of heated water and steam

2

British : an apparatus for heating water rapidly with a gas flame (as for a bath)

Did you know?

A hot spring that discharges intermittent jets of steam and water is called a geyser. Geysers are generally associated with recent volcanic activity. They are produced by the heating of underground waters that have come into contact with, or are very close to, magma. Geyser discharges as high as 1,600 ft (500 m) have been recorded, but 160 ft (50 m) is much more common. Occasionally, a geyser will adopt an extremely regular and predictable pattern of intermittent activity and discharge for a few minutes every hour or so (for example, Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park).

Examples of geyser in a Sentence

The water from the geyser rises as high as 75 feet.

geysers rising as high as 75 feet

The water shot into the sky in an enormous geyser.

Recent Examples on the Web

The woman had walked toward the bison on a boardwalk near the Old Faithful geyser and came within 10 feet. —Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2025

The northern lights as the Old Faithful geyser emits steam in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on May 12.Jonathan Newton / Getty Images file That’s partly why scientists are eager to study the sun’s maximum phase. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024

Don’t Miss: There are over 10,000 geysers, mud pots, hot springs, travertine terraces, and fumaroles in the 2.2-million-acre park — with Old Faithful, the Norris Geyser Basin, and Grand Prismatic Spring being three of the most popular sites to visit. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2024

Iceland, near the Arctic Circle, is known for the northern lights, steaming geysers and observing whales. —Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Icelandic Geysir, hot spring in Iceland, from geysa to rush forth, from Old Norse; akin to Old English gēotan to pour — more at found

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for geyser

• miser
• riser
• sizer
• visor
• wiser
• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer

Kids Definition

geyser

noun

gey·​ser ˈgī-zər 

: a spring that now and then shoots out hot water and steam

Etymology

from Icelandic Geyser "a hot spring in Iceland," from geysa "to rush forth"