geyser

IPA/ˈɡiːzə(r)/
KK[ɡˈaɪzɚ]IPA/ˈɡaɪzər/

geyser — noun

  • geysersingular
  • geysersplural

1. A natural opening in the earth through which steam and hot water shoot upward, s

1.nounB2
Definition

A natural opening in the earth through which steam and hot water shoot upward, sometimes at regular or unpredictable times.

Example

Tourists gathered to watch the geyser shoot water high into the morning sky.

collocation: watch a geyser + shoot water

The geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupts every ninety minutes.

geyser + erupt + time expression

Common collocations
  • erupt
  • active
  • shoot upward
  • viewing platform
  • national park
Synonyms
  • hot spring

    a pool of naturally heated water that does not erupt

  • fumarole

    a vent that releases only steam and gases, not liquid water — a technical term

Grammar Patterns

often used with 'the' + [name of location]

Usage Note

Only certain volcanic regions have geysers; the most famous ones are in Yellowstone (USA), Iceland, and New Zealand. Do not use this word for ordinary hot springs that do not erupt.

Common Mistakes

We swam in the geyser.
We swam in the hot spring.
A geyser shoots water upward and is too hot to enter.

2. A household device, found mainly in older homes, that burns gas to heat water fo

2.nounB2
Definition

A household device, found mainly in older homes, that burns gas to heat water for washing, showering, or bathing.

Example

The old geyser in the basement broke down last winter.

old-fashioned term: geyser meaning gas water heater

Maeve's grandmother still uses a gas geyser to heat bathwater.

collocation: gas geyser

Common collocations
  • gas geyser
  • break down
  • fix
  • replace
  • rusty
  • noisy
  • plumber
Synonyms
  • water heater

    a neutral, modern term for any device that heats household water

  • boiler

    a device that heats water for central heating and sometimes also for taps; broader than geyser

Grammar Patterns

often preceded by 'gas' as in 'gas geyser'

Usage Note

This sense is now old-fashioned in Britain; most newer homes use combi-boilers, electric showers, or tankless heaters instead. The term is still common in South Africa and India.

Common Mistakes

The plumber checked the geyser in the hot spring area.
The plumber checked the geyser in the basement.
This sense refers to a gas appliance, not a natural feature.

Word family

  • geyser-like
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A geyser is a specific type of hot spring that shoots water and steam into the air at regular or irregular intervals. A hot spring is a pool of naturally heated water that does not erupt — people can bathe in it. A fumarole releases only steam and volcanic gases, with no liquid water. Thermal vent is a general term covering all three: any opening in the Earth's crust that releases heated water, steam, or gases. For example: 'The hot spring was warm enough for swimming, but the geyser nearby was too dangerous to approach.'

hot springfumarole ↗thermal vent

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • geyser field
  • geyser basin
  • gas geyser

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseIcelandicEnglish

The word comes from Icelandic Geysir, the name of a famous hot spring in southwest Iceland. Geysir itself means 'gusher' and comes from the Old Norse verb geysa, meaning 'to gush'. English borrowed the name in the 1700s and later used it for all such natural features, then later for gas-powered water heaters.