volcanic winter

vol·can·ic
UK/vɒlˌkænɪk ˈwɪntə/US/vɔlˌkænɪk ˈwɪntəɹ/US[-ˈwɪnəɹ]cot caught merger/vɑlˌkænɪk ˈwɪntəɹ/

noun

A reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscuring the Sun and raising Earth's albedo (increasing the reflection of solar radiation) after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption.

“People who lived through the Year Without a Summer, 1816, had no way to know at the time that they were living through a volcanic winter; some thought that the end times were beginning.”

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Meanings

nounvolcanic winter (plural volcanic winters)

plural volcanic winters

  1. climatologyA reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscuring the Sun and raising Earth's albedo (increasing the reflection of solar radiation) after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption.

    People who lived through the Year Without a Summer, 1816, had no way to know at the time that they were living through a volcanic winter; some thought that the end times were beginning.

Origin

From volcanic + winter.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans vulkaanwinter
  • vulkaanwinterreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Arabic شتاء بركاني
  • شتاء بركانيreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Bulgarian вулканична зи́ма
  • вулканична зи́ма (vulkanična zíma)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Catalan hivern volcànic
  • hivern volcànicreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Chinese Mandarin 火山冬天
  • 火山冬天 (huǒshān dōngtiān)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Czech sopečná zima
  • sopečná zimareduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Dutch vulcanische winter
  • vulcanische winterreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Finnish tulivuorenpurkauksen vaikutukset ilmastoon
  • tulivuorenpurkauksen vaikutukset ilmastoonreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
French hiver volcanique
  • hiver volcaniquereduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
German vulkanischer Winter
  • vulkanischer Winterreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Greek ηφαιστειακός χειμώνας
  • ηφαιστειακός χειμώνας (ifaisteiakós cheimónas)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Hebrew חורף געשי
  • חורף געשיreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Hungarian vulkáni tél, vulkanikus tél
  • vulkáni télreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
  • vulkanikus télreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Indonesian musim dingin vulkanik
  • musim dingin vulkanikreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Japanese 火山の冬
  • 火山の冬 (kazan no fuyu)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Korean 화산 겨울
  • 화산 겨울 (hwasan gyeoul)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Lithuanian vulkaninė žiemà
  • vulkaninė žiemàreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Persian زمستان آتشفشانی
  • زمستان آتشفشانیreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Polish zima wulkaniczna
  • zima wulkanicznareduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Portuguese inverno vulcânico
  • inverno vulcânicoreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Russian вулкани́ческая зима́
  • вулкани́ческая зима́ (vulkaníčeskaja zimá)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Slovak vulkanická zima, sopečná zima
  • vulkanická zimareduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
  • sopečná zimareduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Spanish invierno volcánico
  • invierno volcánicoreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Swedish vulkanvinter
  • vulkanvinterreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Thai ฤดูหนาวจากภูเขาไฟ
  • ฤดูหนาวจากภูเขาไฟreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Turkish volkanik kış
  • volkanik kışreduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Ukrainian вулканічна зима́
  • вулканічна зима́ (vulkanična zymá)reduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption
Vietnamese mùa đông núi lửa
  • mùa đông núi lửareduction in global temperatures after a large, particularly explosive volcanic eruption

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with volcanic winter

printerwintersplintersprintermintersinterFather Winter
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

volcanic winter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volcanic%20winter

MLA

“volcanic winter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volcanic%20winter. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “volcanic winter,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volcanic%20winter.

Source: volcanic winter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.