lava

noun

la·​va ˈlä-və  ˈla- 

: molten rock that issues from a volcano or from a fissure in the surface of a planet (such as earth) or moon

also : such rock that has cooled and hardened

lavalike

ˈlä-və-ˌlīk 

ˈla-

adjective

Examples of lava in a Sentence

a flow of molten lava

Recent Examples on the Web

Tycho Crater is visible in the lower region of the lunar disk close to the shadow, while bright ejecta rays of reflective material brighten the darker lunar seas, where lava solidified to form basaltic plains billions of years ago. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Earth’s moon—which also has the advantage of being 50 percent larger than Pluto and of having volcanoes that once spewed actual lava instead of mere water—fully deserves planethood by these very same metrics. — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026

Pele’s magma reached temperatures of at least 1,600 degrees Celsius, while its lava discharge rate has been estimated at between 250 and 340 cubic meters per second. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Instead of flammable mulch like bark or wood chips, use lava stone or coarse gravel around any shrubbery that is within 5 feet of the structure. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, ultimately from Latin labes fall; akin to Latin labi to slide — more at sleep

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lava

• lava cake
• lava lamp

Rhymes for lava

• cava
• fava
• flava
• guava
• jahveh
• balaclava
• cassava

Kids Definition

lava

noun

la·​va ˈläv-ə  ˈlav- 

: melted rock coming from a volcano

also : such rock that has cooled and hardened