lahar

noun la·har \ ˈlä-ˌhär \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Definition of lahar

: a moving fluid mass composed of volcanic debris and water

Recent Examples of lahar from the Web

The heat from Mount Rainier’s lava flows could potentially melt the snow and ice on the volcano, causing a rapid downstream flow of mud, rocks and debris called lahar.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "8 of the World’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes, According to Experts," 6 June 2018
Ash from the volcano fell on Guatemala City and in the town of Antigua, a colonial-era city popular with tourists, as burning-hot lahar — a slurry of lava, rocky debris and water — gushed down onto the communities that dot the side of the volcano.

— carolina gamazo and kate linthicum, latimes.com, "Rescuers frantically dig through ash after Guatemala volcano kills at least 62," 4 June 2018
Orting would be directly in the path of a lahar, and local officials each year conduct drills in which children move from school to higher ground to escape the flow.

— bradford betz, Fox News, "Hawaii volcano stokes fears of West Coast eruptions," 13 May 2018
When this mixes with the volcanic debris, rainfall can form dangerous mudflows called lahars.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Why Guatemala's Volcano Is Deadlier Than Hawaii's," 4 June 2018
Dramatic video showed a fast-moving lahar, or flow of pyroclastic material and slurry, slamming into and partly destroying a bridge on a highway between Sacatepequez and Escuintla.

— sonia perez d., BostonGlobe.com, "Death toll in Guatemala volcano eruption now at 25," 4 June 2018
Dramatic video showed a fast-moving lahar, or flow of pyroclastic material and slurry, slamming into and partly destroying a bridge on a highway between Sacatepequez and Escuintla.

— Time, "Guatemala's Fuego Volcano Erupts, Sending Lava Into Homes and Killing 25," 4 June 2018
The real danger comes from volcanic mudflows, also called lahars, says Krippner.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "Falling into lava would be a pretty hot mess," 30 May 2018
When Mount Redoubt erupted in 2009, lahars, or volcanic mudflows, caused major flooding at the Drift River Oil Terminal, where crude oil is stored.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska is no stranger to volcanoes erupting. But what would happen in a big one?," 28 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lahar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.