fumarole means an opening in the ground that emits steam and gases due to volcanic activity. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “fumarole” is a great word
FUMAROLE — [Noun] An opening in or near a volcano from which hot gases and vapors are emitted. From Italian fumarola, a diminutive form ultimately from Latin fumus ("smoke, vapor"). First attested in English in the early 19th century. Unlike a "geyser," which violently punctuates the silence with columns of water and steam, or a general volcanic "vent," which may disgorge molten rock, a fumarole is a quieter, more constant exhalation. It is the sulfurous hiss from a cracked and barren slope, the spectral plume that melts a perfect, steaming crater into a snowfield, and the faint, tremulous heat-haze above an ancient fissure—a persistent reminder that the planet breathes, and its breath is seldom sweet.
noun
- An opening in the ground that emits steam and gases due to volcanic activity.“Masaya did not offer an opportunity to sample high-temperature fumaroles, but its neighbors, Momotombo and Cerro Negro volcanoes, are noted for their fumarolic activity”