ˈlä]və, ˈla], ˈlȧ]\ noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Italian, from Italian dialect (Naples), lava, torrent of floodwater, from Latin labes fall; akin to Latin labi to glide, slide — more at sleep
1.
a. : fluid rock that issues from a volcano or from a fissure in the earth's surface, that consists of mineral matter dissolved in mineral matter at high temperatures, and that is more fluid when at higher temperatures and when basic rather than acid — compare magma
b. : any of several solid materials (as obsidian, pumice) resulting from the cooling of lava under different conditions
black lavas
a lava bed
lava plateaus of vast dimensions — O.D.Von Engeln
2. : a nearly neutral slightly brownish black that is lighter than African