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crater
crater
1. General term for a circular, funnel-shaped depression, up to 1km in diameter, produced by volcanic processes by which gases, tephra, and lava are or have been ejected. Several types are recognized: a crater at the summit of a volcanic cone marks the site of magma degassing and ejection of material; a maar, often occupied by a lake, results from explosive activity; and a caldera is a large volcanic depression greater than 1 km in diameter. 2. Near-circular depression produced by the impact of an extraterrestrial body, e.g. Meteor Crater, Arizona. Meteorite craters are formed by the explosion outward and upward of material compressed and heated strongly by the energy of impact, and so usually are circular at the time they form. They are characterized by topographically raised rims and by ejecta blankets which show inverted stratigraphy with respect to the target rocks. See also SHATTER CONES. |
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "crater." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "crater." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-crater.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "crater." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-crater.html |
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crater
cra·ter / ˈkrātər/ • n. 1. a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on the surface of a planet or the moon, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body. ∎ a large pit or hollow forming the mouth of a volcano. ∎ a cavity or hole in any surface. 2. a large bowl used in ancient Greece for mixing wine. • v. [tr.] form a crater in (the ground or a planet): he has the offensive power to crater the enemy's runways. |
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"crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crater005.html "crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crater005.html |
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Crater
Cra·ter / ˈkrātər/ Astron. a small and faint southern constellation (the Cup), between Hydra and Leo, said to represent the goblet of Apollo. ∎ [as genitive] (Cra·te·ris / krāˈti(ə)ris/ ) used with a preceding letter or numeral to designate a star in this constellation: the star Delta Crateris. |
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Cite this article
"Crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crater.html "Crater." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-crater.html |
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crater
crater Roughly circular depression found on the surface of many bodies in the Solar System, notably satellites, planets, and asteroids. It is formed either by meteoric impact, when shock waves blast out a hole in the ground, or at the vent of a volcano, when lava is expelled explosively. Space probes have revealed craters on Mars and Mercury.
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"crater." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crater." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-crater.html "crater." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-crater.html |
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crater
crater mouth of a volcano XVII; hole made in the ground by an explosion XIX. — L. crātēr bowl, basin, aperture of a volcano — Gr. krātḗr bowl, lit. mixing-vessel.
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T. F. HOAD. "crater." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "crater." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crater.html T. F. HOAD. "crater." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-crater.html |
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crater
crater n.the pit, depression, or cavity formed in the surface of the earth by an explosion. In the case of a deep underground burst, no rupture of the surface may occur See camouflet.
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"crater." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crater." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-crater.html "crater." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-crater.html |
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Crater
Crater (abbr. Crt, gen. Crateris) A constellation of the southern sky representing a cup or bowl. Its brightest star, Delta Crateris, is of magnitude 3.6.
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"Crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Crater.html "Crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Crater.html |
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crater
crater A bowl-shaped depression on a planetary surface. Craters are usually of either impact or volcanic origin; however, some craters on the satellites of the outer planets may be the result of ice volcanism in which internal heating melts and vaporizes the ice to produce gas explosions and water flows. Volcanic craters tend to be less circular than impact ones, and may be formed either by explosion or collapse. Volcanic craters of purely explosive origin are normally under 1 km in diameter and are usually found at the top of a cone of ejected debris; collapse craters can be more than 100 km across, and may have no outer slope at all. Impact craters have been found on all bodies in the Solar System photographed by space probes except Jupiter's volcanic satellite Io, but volcanic craters do not seem to exist on the smaller Solar System bodies.
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Cite this article
"crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-crater.html "crater." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-crater.html |
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crater
crater
•cater, crater, creator, curator, data, debater, delator, dumbwaiter, equator, freighter, frustrater, gaiter, grater, gyrator, hater, later, legator, mater, negator, pater, peseta, plater, rotator, skater, slater, stater, tater, traitor, ultimata, understater, upstater, waiter
•painter
•taster, waster
•gamester • aviator • tailgater
•hesitater • shirtwaister
•Akita, Anita, arboreta, beater, beta, Bhagavadgita, cheater, cheetah, Demeter, Dieter, dolce vita, eater, eta, Evita, excreta, fetor, granita, greeter, heater, Juanita, litre (US liter), Lolita, maltreater, margarita, meter, metre, Peta, peter, praetor (US pretor), repeater, Rita, saltpetre (US saltpeter), secretor, Senhorita, señorita, Sita, skeeter, teeter, terra incognita, theta, treater, tweeter, ureter, veleta, zeta
•Batista, Dniester, Easter, feaster, keister, leister, quaestor
•speedster
•deemster, teamster
•scenester • browbeater • windcheater
•beefeater
•millilitre (US milliliter)
•decilitre (US deciliter)
•centilitre (US centiliter)
•kilolitre (US kiloliter)
•ammeter • Machmeter
•millimetre (US millimeter)
•decimetre (US decimeter)
•altimeter
•centimetre (US centimeter)
•nanometre (US nanometer)
•micrometer, micrometre
•decametre (US dekameter)
•kilometre (US kilometer) • autopista
•anteater
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Cite this article
"crater." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "crater." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-crater.html "crater." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-crater.html |
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