1. Home
  2. Scrabble Dictionary. Word Meaning and Points

Lava in Scrabble and Meaning

Lookup Word Points and Definitions

What does lava mean? Is lava a Scrabble word?

How many points in Scrabble is lava worth? lava how many points in Words With Friends? What does lava mean? Get all these answers on this page.

Scrabble® and Words with Friends® points for lava

See how to calculate how many points for lava.

Is lava a Scrabble word?

Yes. The word lava is a Scrabble US word. The word lava is worth 7 points in Scrabble:

L1A1V4A1

Is lava a Scrabble UK word?

Yes. The word lava is a Scrabble UK word and has 7 points:

L1A1V4A1

Is lava a Words With Friends word?

Yes. The word lava is a Words With Friends word. The word lava is worth 9 points in Words With Friends (WWF):

L2A1V5A1

Our tools

Valid words made from Lava

Results

4-letter words (2 found)

AVAL,LAVA,

3-letter words (4 found)

AAL,ALA,AVA,LAV,

2-letter words (3 found)

AA,AL,LA,

You can make 9 words from lava according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

Definitions and meaning of lava

lava

English

Etymology

From Italian, from Neapolitan and Sicilian lava (“lava”, but also “downpour overflowing the streets”). Likely in the sense of “landslide, torrent” from Latin labes (“fall”), compare labina (“avalanche, landslide”). A supposed relation with lavare (“to wash”) is now widely discredited. Neither is there probably any relation with Arabic لابة (lāba, “black volcanic rock”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) Alternatively the Romance words are connected with Provençal lavo, lauvo (“flat stone”), from a Vulgar Latin source borrowed from a Celtic language such as Gaulish *lawā, but ultimately of obscure origin; see Proto-Celtic *līwos for details.

Pronunciation

  • (US, UK) enPR: läʹvə, IPA(key): /ˈlɑːvə/
  • (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈlɑːvə/, /ˈlævə/
  • Homophones: larva (non-rhotic), lather (Cockney)
  • Rhymes: -ɑːvə

Noun

lava (countable and uncountable, plural lavas)

  1. The molten rock ejected by a volcano from its crater or fissured sides; magma that has breached the surface of the earth.
  2. (informal, proscribed) Magma.
  3. A shade of red, named after the volcanic lava.

Usage notes

  • Geologists make a distinction between magma (molten rock underground) and lava (molten rock on the surface).

Hyponyms

  • cryolava, pillow lava

Derived terms

Translations

References

See also

  • aa
  • lavalava
  • pahoehoe

Anagrams

  • Alva, Vaal, aval

Albanian

Verb

lava

  1. first-person singular aorist of laj

Azerbaijani

Pronunciation

Noun

lava (definite accusative lavanı, plural lavalar)

  1. lava

Declension

References

  • “lava” in Obastan.com.

Catalan

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central) [ˈla.βə]
  • IPA(key): (Balearic) [ˈla.və]
  • IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˈla.va]

Noun

lava f (plural laves)

  1. lava

Further reading

  • “lava”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

From Italian lava.

Noun

lava

  1. lava

Declension

References

  • Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎[1], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lava.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈlava]

Noun

lava f

  1. (dialectal) alternative form of lavice (“bench”)

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

  • “lava”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
  • “lava”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian lava.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlaː.vaː/
  • Hyphenation: la‧va
  • Rhymes: -aːvaː

Noun

lava c (uncountable)

  1. lava

Derived terms

References

  • van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “lava”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute
  • “lava” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lava, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *lā́ˀwāˀ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlɑvɑ/
  • Rhymes: -ɑvɑ
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Noun

lava (genitive lava, partitive lava)

  1. stage

Declension

Further reading

  • lava in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
  • “lava”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lava (compare Estonian lava, Livonian lovā, Veps lava), borrowed from Proto-Baltic *lā́ˀwāˀ (compare Latvian lāva, Lithuanian lova).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlɑʋɑ/, [ˈlɑ̝ʋɑ̝]
  • Rhymes: -ɑʋɑ
  • Syllabification(key): la‧va
  • Hyphenation(key): la‧va

Noun

lava

  1. platform; podium (a flat, raised surface)
    Synonyms: koroke, (rare) estradi
  2. bed (platform of a truck or other vehicle that supports the load)
  3. stage (in a theatre, a concert hall or such)
    Synonyms: estradi, näyttämö
  4. clipping of tanssilava
  5. plant bed, raised bed (raised, framed platform for planting)
    Synonym: kasvilava
  6. pallet (transport pallet, also as a unit)
    Synonym: kuormalava
  7. (colloquial) case (pack of usually 24 cans of beer or other drink)

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “lava”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

  • vala

French

Pronunciation

Verb

lava

  1. third-person singular past historic of laver

Anagrams

  • aval

Galician

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlaba/ [ˈla.β̞ɐ]
  • Rhymes: -aba
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Etymology 1

Noun

lava f (plural lavas)

  1. lava

Further reading

  • “lava”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Etymology 2

Verb

lava

  1. inflection of lavar:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Indonesian

Etymology

Internationalism, borrowed from Dutch lava, from Neapolitan lava (“lava”, but also “downpour overflowing the streets”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈla.va/
  • Rhymes: -va, -a
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Noun

lava (plural lava-lava)

  1. (geology) lava: the molten rock ejected by a volcano (hence on the surface) from its crater or fissured sides

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “lava” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lava. Cognates include Finnish lava and Estonian lava.

Pronunciation

  • (Ala-Laukaa) IPA(key): /ˈlɑʋɑ/, [ˈɫɑʋɑ]
  • (Soikkola) IPA(key): /ˈlɑʋɑ/, [ˈɫɑʋɑ]
  • Rhymes: -ɑʋɑ
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Noun

lava

  1. banya bench
  2. raised bed
  3. foundation of a stove
  4. A layer of dried branches or cones which are put under a haystack to prevent it from decaying. (Is there an English equivalent to this definition?)

Declension

Derived terms

References

  • Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 254

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈla.va/
  • Rhymes: -ava
  • Hyphenation: là‧va

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

lava f (plural lave)

  1. lava
Related terms
  • lavico

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lava

  1. inflection of lavare:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Latin

Etymology 1

From Neapolitan lava or Italian lava.

Noun

lava f (genitive lavae); first declension

  1. (New Latin) lava
    Synonym: rhyax

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lavā

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of lavō

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Italian lava (Neapolitan dialect).

Noun

lava m (definite singular lavaen, indefinite plural lavaer, definite plural lavaene)

  1. (geology) lava
Derived terms
  • lavastrøm

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

  • lavene

Noun

lava m or n

  1. definite neuter plural of lav

References

  • “lava” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Italian lava (Neapolitan dialect).

Noun

lava m (definite singular lavaen, indefinite plural lavaer, definite plural lavaene)

  1. (geology) lava

Etymology 2

Noun

lava n

  1. definite plural of lav

References

  • “lava” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -avɐ, (Northern Portugal) -abɐ
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Etymology 1

From Neapolitan lava (“a torrent of rain which washed the streets”). Likely in the sense of “landslide, torrent” from Latin labes (“fall”), compare labina (“avalanche, landslide”).

Noun

lava f (plural lavas)

  1. lava (melted rock)
Related terms
  • magma

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lava

  1. inflection of lavar:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈlava]

Noun

lava f

  1. definite nominative/accusative singular of lavă

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

láva f (Cyrillic spelling ла́ва)

  1. (geology) lava

Declension

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlaba/ [ˈla.β̞a]
  • Rhymes: -aba
  • Syllabification: la‧va

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Neapolitan lava (“lava”) Likely in the sense of “landslide, torrent” from Latin labes (“fall”), compare labina (“avalanche, landslide”).

Noun

lava f (uncountable)

  1. lava
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Deverbal from lavar.

Noun

lava f (uncountable)

  1. washing

Etymology 3

Verb

lava

  1. inflection of lavar:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

  • “lava”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swahili

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English larva.

Noun

lava class IX (plural lava class X)

  1. larva
    Synonym: bombwe

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English lava.

Noun

lava class IX (plural lava class X)

  1. lava
    Synonym: zaha

Swedish

Noun

lava c

  1. lava

Derived terms

  • lavalampa

Anagrams

  • Alva

Tokelauan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *lawa. Cognates include Hawaiian lawa and Samoan lava.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈla.va]
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Verb

lava

  1. (stative) to be enough

Particle

lava

  1. Expresses exclusiveness of the preceding word; just, only
  2. Intensifies the preceding word; just (the same), right (now)
  3. Forms a reflexive from the preceding personal pronoun; -self

References

  • R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎[3], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 181

Tsonga

Verb

lava

  1. to want

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lava.

Noun

lava

  1. floor
  2. platform

Inflection

References

  • Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “площадка, пол, помост”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎[4], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lava.

Pronunciation

  • (Luutsa, Liivtšülä) IPA(key): /ˈlɑvɑ/, [ˈɫɑvɑ]
  • Rhymes: -ɑvɑ
  • Hyphenation: la‧va

Noun

lava

  1. sauna bench
  2. plant bed

Inflection

References

  • Hallap, V., Adler, E., Grünberg, S., Leppik, M. (2012) “lava”, in Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language], 2nd edition, Tallinn

Source: wiktionary.org