n. [ It. lava lava, orig. in Naples, a torrent of rain overflowing the streets, fr. It. & L. lavare to wash. See Lave. ] The melted rock ejected by a volcano from its top or fissured sides. It flows out in streams sometimes miles in length. It also issues from fissures in the earth's surface, and forms beds covering many square miles, as in the Northwestern United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Lavas are classed, according to their structure, as scoriaceous or cellular, glassy, stony, etc., and according to the material of which they consist, as doleritic, trachytic, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lava millstone, a hard and coarse basaltic millstone from the neighborhood of the Rhine. --
Lava ware, a kind of cheap pottery made of iron slag cast into tiles, urns, table tops, etc., resembling lava in appearance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A printed cloth garment resembling a skirt or kilt, worn as the principle garment by both men and women in Polynesia, especialy in Samoa; called also pareu. [ PJC ]

n. A small microphone worn around the neck on a supporting string or chain. [ PJC ]

n. A genus of plants of the mint family including the lavender{ 1 }.
Syn. -- genus Lavandula. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. ] (Zool.) A European whitefish (Coregonus laveretus), found in the mountain lakes of Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A widespread genus of herbs or soft-wooded arborescent shrubs cultivated for their showy flowers.
Syn. -- genus Lavatera. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Like lava, or composed of lava; lavic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. lavatio: cf. OF. lavation. ] A washing or cleansing. [ Obs. or R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Washing, or cleansing by washing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Lavatories [ L. lavatorium: cf. lavatoire. See Lave to wash, and cf. Laver. ] 1. A place for washing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A basin or other vessel for washing in. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A wash or lotion for a diseased part. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A place where gold is obtained by washing. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A room containing one or more sinks for washing, as well as one or more toilet fixtures; also called bathroom, toilet, and sometimes commode. Commode and toilet may refer to a room with only a toilet fixture, but without a sink.
Syn. -- toilet, lavatory, can, facility, john, privy, bathroom. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]