LAVA


Meaning of LAVA in English

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

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.