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Glite Dictionary
pillow lava

pillow lava

7.0
Lava that hardens into rounded, pillow-like masses after erupting under the sea
  • noun
  • /ˈpɪloʊ ˈlɑːvə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lava almohadillada

So they're actually quite fresh pillow lava samples.

Examples

  • There was not enough pillow lava to make our houses.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • So they're actually quite fresh pillow lava samples.

    Harvard University

  • The geologists were excited to study the pillow lava, which showcased the unique features of underwater volcanism.

  • During the dive, we observed large pillow lava formations that had formed from the last volcanic eruption.

  • Pillow lava is created when molten rock erupts underwater and cools rapidly into rounded shapes.

Synonyms

lava
vspillow lava
124 2.0

Hot liquid rock that flows from a volcano and cools into solid rock

is the cooled underwater rounded solid rather than the flowing molten material
volcanic rock
vspillow lava
  • Specialized
4 3.6

A hard rock made when hot melted rock cools on or near the Earth's surface

forms underwater into rounded masses rather than at or near the surface
igneous rock
vspillow lava
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A hard, solid material that forms when hot, melted rock cools

is a specific underwater rounded form rather than any cooled magma product

Surface Forms

pillow lava singular
pillow lavas plural

Morphology

pillow + lava

The meaning — lava that forms rounded, pillow-shaped masses — is directly derivable from combining 'pillow' (a cushion-like rounded shape) with 'lava' (molten rock). Although a technical geological term, its compositional structure makes the sense predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Pillow lava gets its name from how hot lava hits cold 'water' and hardens into round, pillow-like lumps. Those 'pillow-shaped' masses form during 'underwater' eruptions, so finding them tells scientists the lava came from the sea.