Definition of 'lava'
Image of
lava
© Budkov Denis, shutterstock
lava in British English
noun
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C18: from Italian (Neapolitan dialect), from Latin lavāre to wash
lava in American English
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
lava in American English
(ˈlɑːvə, ˈlævə)
noun
2.
the rock formed when this solidifies, occurring in many varieties differing greatly in structure and constitution
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1740–50; ‹ It, orig. Neapolitan dial.: avalanche ‹ L lābēs a sliding down, falling, akin to lābī to slide]Examples of 'lava' in a sentence
lava
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Word lists with
lava
rockQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which type of rock am I?
any extrusive igneous rock formed by the cooling and solidification of molten lava
Which type of rock am I?
any dark sandstone or grit having a matrix of clay minerals
Which type of rock am I?
a rock consisting of angular fragments embedded in a finer matrix, formed by erosion, impact, volcanic activity, etc
Which type of rock am I?
a coarse-grained plutonic igneous rock consisting almost entirely of plagioclase feldspar
Which type of rock am I?
a rare coarse-grained basic rock consisting principally of garnet and pyroxene. Quartz, feldspar, etc, may also be present. It is thought to originate by metamorphism or igneous crystallization at extremely high pressure
Your score:
Trends of
lava
View usage for:
In other languages
lava
British English: lava
/ˈlɑːvə/ NOUN
Lava is the very hot liquid rock that comes out of a volcano.
... the lava and ash from the volcano.
- American English: lava /ˈlævə, ˈlɑvə/
- Arabic: حِمَمٌ بُرْكَانِيَّةٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: lava
- Chinese: 熔岩
- Croatian: lava
- Czech: láva
- Danish: lava
- Dutch: lava
- European Spanish: lava
- Finnish: laava
- French: lave
- German: Lava
- Greek: λάβα
- Italian: lava
- Japanese: 溶岩
- Korean: 용암
- Norwegian: lava
- Polish: lawa
- European Portuguese: lava
- Romanian: lavă
- Russian: лава
- Latin American Spanish: lava
- Swedish: lava
- Thai: ลาวา (หินหลอมเหลวจากภูเขาไฟระเบิด)
- Turkish: lav
- Ukrainian: лава
- Vietnamese: nham thạch
Source
Definition of lava from the Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
leant or lent?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
lent
leant
I the book to my brother for a couple of weeks.
flour or flower?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
flower
flour
Fiona picked a beautiful red for the display.
fair or fare?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
fair
fare
Do you feel they are paying their share?
shaken or shook?
Which version is correct?
main or mane?
Which version is correct?
Your score:
Word of the day
god game
a computer roleplaying game in which the player controls the destiny of one or more avatars within a large virtual environment
9 new words in Collins Dictionary
There is a scientific bent to 9 new words added to the Collins Online Dictionary, including three types of 'blot' tests, and words relating to electric vehicles.
Read more
Brush up on your Latin this Back to School
With the UK running a pilot study into teaching Latin in state schools, we look at common Latin phrases still in use today.
Read more
A little bird told me… 7 animal idioms
It’s new words time at Collins Dictionary and this month we see the addition of words like fingerling, net zero and emotional support animal. This month, there were a few animal-related additions.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
calf or cat?
Which version is correct?
happy or pleased?
Which version is correct?
foot or hand?
Which version is correct?
hair or nose?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
nose
hair
get up someone's
cry or laugh?
Which version is correct?
Your score: