Phrase guide

pyroclastic flow

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: /paɪ.ɹə(ʊ)ˌklæ.stɪk ˈfləʊ/
  • General-American: /ˈpaɪ.ɹoʊ.klæ.stɪk floʊ/
  • General-American: /ˈpaɪ.ɹə.klæ.stɪk floʊ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A dense flow of volcanic ash, dust, rocks and debris that cascades at high speed down the slope of a volcano during an eruption.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences, volcanology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pyroclastic density current, PDC, pyroclastic surge

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pyroclastic, flow: flow (uncountable) of pyroclastic particles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon, uncountable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From pyroclastic + flow.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Central Bikol: uson — pyroclastic flow
  • Catalan: flux piroclàstic — pyroclastic flow
  • Cebuano: piroklastikong pag-agay — pyroclastic flow
  • Chinese Mandarin: 火山碎屑流 (huǒshānsuìxiè liú) — pyroclastic flow
  • Czech: pyroklastický proud — pyroclastic flow
  • Danish: pyroklastisk vulkanudbrud — pyroclastic flow
  • Dutch: pyroclastische stroom — pyroclastic flow
  • Estonian: lõõmpilv — pyroclastic flow
  • Finnish: pyroklastinen tuhkapilvi — pyroclastic flow
  • Finnish: pyroklastinen virtaus — pyroclastic flow
  • French: nuée ardente — pyroclastic flow
  • German: pyroklastischer Strom — pyroclastic flow
  • German: Glutlawine — pyroclastic flow
  • Greek: πυροκλαστική ροή (pyroklastikí roḯ) — pyroclastic flow
  • Hebrew: זרם פירוקלסטי — pyroclastic flow
  • Indonesian: aliran piroklastik — pyroclastic flow
  • Indonesian: awan panas — pyroclastic flow
  • Indonesian: wedus gembel — pyroclastic flow
  • Italian: flusso piroclastico — pyroclastic flow
  • Japanese: 火砕流 (kasairyū) — pyroclastic flow
  • Javanese: wedhus gembel — pyroclastic flow
  • Latin: efluxus pyroclasticus — pyroclastic flow
  • Lithuanian: piroklastinis srautas — pyroclastic flow
  • Norwegian: pyroklastisk strøm — pyroclastic flow
  • Polish: lawina piroklastyczna — pyroclastic flow
  • Portuguese: fluxo piroclástico — pyroclastic flow
  • Russian: пирокласти́ческий пото́к (piroklastíčeskij potók) — pyroclastic flow
  • Slovak: pyroklastický prúd — pyroclastic flow
  • Spanish: flujo piroclástico — pyroclastic flow
  • Swedish: pyroklastiskt flöde — pyroclastic flow
  • Turkish: piroklastik akıntı — pyroclastic flow