aa

¹ American  

[ah-ah] / ˈɑ ɑ /

Or a'a,

noun

1. basaltic lava having a rough surface.

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AA ² American  

abbreviation

1. administrative assistant.

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AA ³ American  

Symbol.

1. a proportional shoe width size, narrower than A and wider than AAA.

2. the smallest proportional brassiere cup size.

3. a quality rating for a corporate or municipal bond, lower than AAA and higher than A.

4. Electricity. a battery size for 1.5-volt dry cells: diameter, 0.6 inch (1.4 centimeters); length, 2 inches (5 centimeters).

5. British. a designation for motion pictures certified as unsuitable for children under 14 unless accompanied by an adult.

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a̅a̅ ⁴ American  

Or āa

Symbol.

1. (in prescriptions) ana.

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a.a. ⁵ American  

Or aa

abbreviation

1. author's alteration. Also A.A., AA

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A.A. ⁶ American  

[ey-ey] / ˈeɪˈeɪ /

Or AA

abbreviation

1. Alcoholics Anonymous.

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A.A. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

1. antiaircraft. Also AA

2. Associate in Accounting.

3. Associate of Arts.

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aa ¹ British  

/ ˈɑːɑː /

noun

1. a volcanic rock consisting of angular blocks of lava with a very rough surface

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aa ² British  

abbreviation

1. ana ¹

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AA ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Alcoholics Anonymous

2. anti-aircraft

3. Architectural Association

4. (in Britain) Automobile Association

5. (in Britain) Advertising Association

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symbol

1. (in Britain, formerly) a film that may not be shown publicly to a child under fourteen

aa Scientific  

/ ä′ä /

1. A type of lava having a rough, jagged surface. It is relatively slow moving in its molten state, advancing in the form of massive blocks with fissured and angular surfaces that ride on a viscous interior. The blocks range in size between the size of a football and the size of a house.

2. See Note at pahoehoe

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Etymology

Origin of aa¹

First recorded in 1855–60; from Hawaiian ʿaʿā

Origin of a̅a̅⁴

From the Greek word aná, with superscript bar representing the nasal consonant

Example Sentences

Like stirring a cup of tea, mixing the lava sped up cooling—and seemingly triggered the formation of aa, says study author Cansu Culha, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia.

From Science Magazine

But, he added, “it is also hard for them to understand why ‘qi’ and ‘aa’ are words.

From New York Times

Kilauea, by contrast, is a shield volcano: Its magma is relatively low in silica and flows easily, oozing out in characteristic ropy flows called pahoehoe and thick, blocky flows called aa.

From Scientific American

There are two main kinds of lava: pahoehoe and aa.

From Los Angeles Times

First across the black lava flows and broken aa.

From Project Gutenberg