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gey·ser

(gīzər)

1. A natural hot spring that intermittently ejects a column of water and steam into the air.

2. (gēzər) Chiefly British A gas-operated hot-water heater.

[After Icelandic Geysir, name of a hot spring of southwest Iceland, from geysa, to gush, from Old Norse; see gheu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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geyser

Water contained in porous rock seeps into an opening. Heated by magma below, it escapes under pressure to the earth's surface.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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