Lava

Lava

Noun · /ˈlɑː.və/

Definition

Molten rock that has erupted from a volcano or a fissure in the earth's surface; the solidified rock formed by the cooling of such molten material.

Origin

From Italian lava (a torrent of water, a sudden stream), from lavare (to wash), from Latin lavare (to wash). The geological term was coined by Francesco Serao in 1737 to describe the eruptions of Vesuvius — he used the local Neapolitan term for a flash flood or sudden water flow and applied it to the lava streams flowing down the volcano.