pillow lava

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noun Geology.

lava in the form of an agglomeration of rounded, pillow-shaped masses, the result of subaqueous or subglacial volcanic eruption.

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Origin of pillow lava

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby pillow lava

pillow, pillow block, pillowcase, pillow fight, pillow lace, pillow lava, pillow sham, pillow sword, pillow talk, pillowy, pill popper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pillow lava in a sentence

The forums and message boards all cite “waking up to loose strands on your pillow” as a real indicator of significant hair loss.
Birth Control Made My Hair Fall Out, and I’m Not the Only One|Molly Oswaks|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I moved my head one inch off the pillow to find out which it was, and something growled.
The Stacks: Pete Dexter on What It’s Like to Lose the Knack of Having Fun|Pete Dexter|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We were about to go to sleep, but I decided to tease him about his weird habit of having the pillow a certain way on the bed.
I Was Pregnant When He Hit Me. Here's #WhyIStayed.|Anonymous|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Her pillow talk with Coulson when they were lovers for six years had never included mention of it.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine|Clive Irving|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At last Aristide fed him desperately, dandled him eventually to sleep, and returned to an excited pillow.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She suddenly sank back upon the pillow and gave up to bitter anguish, when she recalled what had followed.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Hilda bent over her trembling head whose right side pressed upon the pillow.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Mafuta rose and left the tent, and Tom, turning on his side, observed the Bible lying on the pillow.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
She had sunk down beside the bed, her head was buried in the pillow; she was sobbing wildly.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for pillow lava

pillow lava

noun

lava that has solidified under water, having a characteristic structure comprising a series of close-fitting pillow-shaped masses

Collins 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 pillow lava

pillow lava

[ pĭl′ō ]

Lava that forms from an underwater eruption and is characterized by pillow-shaped masses. Pillow lava forms when hot lava is suddenly exposed to cold water, forming a sacklike membrane that is filled with additional cooling and solidifying lava. The outer membrane is usually finer grained than the inner lava.