Geyser
Pronunciation
Origin
From the name of a particular Icelandic geyser which is mentioned as early as the 1760s in The Annual Register, as “Geyser, a wonderful spring in the valley of Haukadalâ€.
From Geysir ("Gusher"), the Icelandic name of the hot spring in Iceland (see Geysir), from the verb geysa ("to gush"), from Old Norse geysa ("to gush").
Noun
Wikipedia describes geysers in the History subsection of the article:
geyser
(plural geysers)- (planetology, geology, volcanology) A boiling natural spring which throws forth at frequent intervals jets of water, mud etc., driven up by the expansive power of steam.
- (British, archaic) An instantaneous, and often dangerous, hot water heater.
- 1902. William Paton Buchan, Plumbing: A Text-book to the Practice of the Art Or Craft of the Plumber:Where a Geyser or hot-water heater is used it is a good and wise precaution to see that the bath-room, &c., when it is used is well ventilated.
- 1998, Gordon S Riess, Confessions of a Corporate Centurion: Tales of International AdventuresWater was heated either on the gas stove, or on a wall mounted gas-fired "geyser" heater.
- 2002, Alaine Polcz, One woman in the war: Hungary, 1944-1945:It was here I saw a geyser gas water heater in a bathroom for the first time. (I was afraid of it).
- (South Africa) A domestic water boiler.