lava
the molten, fluid rock that issues from a volcano or volcanic vent.
the rock formed when this solidifies, occurring in many varieties differing greatly in structure and constitution.
Origin of lava
1Words that may be confused with lava
Words Nearby lava
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use lava in a sentence
At El Malpais, explore one of many lava tubes, like the easy-to-access Junction Cave.
Farquharson and Amelung made their case for rain-triggered lava at Kilauea April 22 in Nature.
Did rain put the Kilauea volcano’s lava-making into overdrive? | Megan Sever | May 15, 2020 | Science News For StudentsHe says that points to building pressure deep under the volcano’s summit before lava erupted out of cracks in the ground.
Did rain put the Kilauea volcano’s lava-making into overdrive? | Megan Sever | May 15, 2020 | Science News For StudentsHeavy rains can trigger Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano to spout streams of lava.
Did rain put the Kilauea volcano’s lava-making into overdrive? | Megan Sever | May 15, 2020 | Science News For StudentsIn fact, the lava basement of the Von Kármán crater may be too deep for Yutu-2 to sense at all, his team suspects.
Rover finds ‘layer cake’ below ground on moon’s farside | Lisa Grossman | March 25, 2020 | Science News For Students
Volcanoes spewed lava and ash, ocean floors were thrust upward, sand and rock and shale settled into slurry.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards | Clive Irving | August 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTUnderneath, however, lies the permanently molten lava of Scottish memory and its sense of English repression.
lava and ash fell for days; the sun was obliterated for three months.
It also has one of the tallest mountain ranges on the continent and the largest lava lake on Earth.
Can Gorillas Save the Democratic Republic of the Congo? | Nina Strochlic | April 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNo longer would they have crazy adventures like campus-wide paintball and lava matches.
‘Community’ Season Finale: Greendale Stares into the Abyss, Again | Chancellor Agard | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTorrents of lava poured over the sides of the volcano and destroyed whole villages on the shores of the lake.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeHe trudged across burning lava on which his feet left their imprint; he had the appearance of a desperately dogged traveller.
Honey-Bee | Anatole FranceHere there are many craters and much basalt, or even lava; also hot springs.
South of this arid region, strewn with great lava stones, are the Rendile uplands, affording pasturage for thousands of camels.
From these fissures immense and repeated flows of lava spread over the Kapte and Laikipia plateaus.
British Dictionary definitions for lava
/ (ˈlɑːvə) /
magma emanating from volcanoes and other vents
any extrusive igneous rock formed by the cooling and solidification of molten lava
Origin of lava
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for lava
[ lä′və ]
Molten rock that flows from a volcano or from a crack in the Earth. Most lava flows at a rate of a few kilometers per hour, but rates as high as 60 km (37 mi) per hour have been observed. Lava that contains abundant iron- and magnesium-rich components usually erupts with temperatures between 1,000°C and 1,200°C (1,832deg;F and 2,192°F). Lava that contains abundant silica- and feldspar-rich components usually erupts with temperatures between 800°C and 1,000°C (1,472deg;F and 1,832°F). Compare magma.
The igneous rock formed when this substance cools and hardens. Depending on its composition and the rate at which it cools, lava can be glassy, very finely grained, ropelike, or coarsely grained. When it cools underwater, it cools in pillow-shaped masses. See also aa pahoehoe pillow lava.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for lava
A type of igneous rock that is formed when molten magma from a volcano hardens.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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