The term VOLCANO SHAPE can be described as a CONE, which is a four-letter word. A CONE is a three-dimensional geometric SHAPE that tapers smoothly from a flat base to a point called the apex or vertex. Volcanoes are typically conical in SHAPE, with steep sides that are created by lava flows and ash deposits. The SHAPE of a VOLCANO is determined by the type of eruption it experiences and the materials that are ejected during the eruption.