lava

noun

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:
1740–50; < Italian, orig. Neapolitan dialect: avalanche < Latin lābēs a sliding down, falling, akin to lābī to slide

Can be confused: 1. larva, lava ; 2. lava, magma.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

lava (ˈlɑːvə)

—n
1.	magma emanating from volcanoes and other vents
2.	any extrusive igneous rock formed by the cooling and solidification of molten lava

[C18: from Italian (Neapolitan dialect), from Latin lavāre to wash]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10

Lava is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

lava

1750, from It. (Neapolitan or Calabrian dialect) lava "torrent, stream," traditionally from L. lavare "to wash" (see lave). Originally applied in It. to flash flood rivulets after downpours, then to streams of molten rock from Vesuvius. Alternative etymology is from L. labes

"a fall," from labi "to fall." Lava lamp is attested from 1970, earlier lava light (reg. U.S., 1968, as Lava Lite).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

lava

(lä'və) Pronunciation Key

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 © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

lava definition

A type of igneous rock that is formed when molten magma from a volcano hardens.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

LAVA definition

A language for VLSI that deals with "sticks", i.e. wires represented as lines with thickness.
["A Target Language for Silicon Compilers", R.J. Matthews et al, IEEE COMPCON, 1982, pp. 349-353].
(1994-12-07)