lava
la-va · noun
Definitions
noun
- 1.
Hot molten or semifluid rock erupted from a volcano or fissure.
- 2.
The solid rock formed when this molten material cools and hardens.
Phrases & expressions
- •lava flow — A mass of molten rock moving along the ground
- •lava lamp — A decorative lamp with colored wax that rises and falls in a liquid
- •lava tube — A tunnel formed by flowing lava
Related words
Etymology
From Italian lava, originally a Neapolitan dialect word for a stream caused by sudden rain, from Latin labes meaning "a fall, sliding," from labi meaning "to fall, slide." The volcanic meaning was first used during the 1737 eruption of Vesuvius.