1. © Brent Coley 2008 | www.mrcoley.com
Volcanoes
Key Vocabulary
Houghton Mifflin Reading
Theme 1 – Nature’s Fury
© Brent Coley |

2. See if you can correctly define the following vocabulary words.

3. If necessary, use the context clues from the sample sentences to help you.

4. cinders

5. Tom cleaned the cinders out of the fireplace.
Sample Sentence:
Tom cleaned the cinders out of the fireplace.

6. n. Partly burned pieces of coal or wood
cinders
Definition:
n. Partly burned pieces of coal or wood

7. crater

8. The hikers climbed to the crater of the inactive volcano.
Sample Sentence:
The hikers climbed to the crater of the inactive volcano.

9. n. A hollow bowl- shaped area at the mouth of a volcano
crater
Definition:
n. A hollow bowl- shaped area at the mouth of a volcano

10. crust

11. Earthquakes can cause cracks in the earth’s crust.
Sample Sentence:
Earthquakes can cause cracks in the earth’s crust.

12. n. The hard outer layer of the earth
crust
Definition:
n. The hard outer layer of the earth

13. eruption

14. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 was very destructive.
Sample Sentence:
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in was very destructive.

15. n. A volcanic explosion or large flow of lava
eruption
Definition:
n. A volcanic explosion or large flow of lava

16. lava

17. Lava poured out of the volcano, burning everything in its path.
Sample Sentence:
Lava poured out of the volcano, burning everything in its path.

18. n. Hot melted rock that flows from a volcano
lava
Definition:
n. Hot melted rock that flows from a volcano

19. magma

20. The magma bubbled underground.
Sample Sentence:
The magma bubbled underground.

21. n. Molten rock underneath the earth’s surface
magma
Definition:
n. Molten rock underneath the earth’s surface

22. molten

23. The molten lava flowed out of the volcano.
Sample Sentence:
The molten lava flowed out of the volcano.

24. molten
Definition:
adj. Made liquid by heat

25. summit

26. The hikers celebrated when they reached the summit.
Sample Sentence:
The hikers celebrated when they reached the summit.

27. summit
Definition:
n. The top of a mountain