lava
UK/ˈlɑːvə/US/'lɑ:vә/
IELTSTOEFLGREB2
Definitions
n.
Hot molten rock that flows from a volcano
熔岩（从火山流出的炽热岩浆）
n.
The solid rock formed when this cools
火山岩（熔岩冷却后形成的岩石）
Root Breakdown
Root-derived=lava
From Italian lava, traced to Latin lavāre ('to wash, stream down'). Lava is named for what it does: it streams down the side of a volcano like a washing flood of fire.
Root lav still carries 19 more wordsWhy It Means This
Lava is the family's most vivid surprise. The connection to 'wash' isn't about cleaning but about flowing: Neapolitans saw molten rock streaming down the slopes of Vesuvius and named it from the Latin idea of water washing down a hillside. The 'wash' here is the unstoppable downhill flow.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Glowing lava poured down the mountainside toward the village.
- 2.
The island is made of black volcanic lava rock.