A.Word.A.Day --aa

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Today's Word

aa

PRONUNCIATION:

(AH-ah)

MEANING:

noun: Lava having a rough surface.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Hawaiian ʻaʻā (to burn). Earliest documented use: 1859.

NOTES:

Aa is one of the two kinds of lava typically found in Hawaiian volcanoes. The other kind is pahoehoe, one with a smooth, ropy surface.

USAGE:

“The type of lava most prevalent on Bartolomé Island is aa lava; it has a lower temperature and less gas content, which makes for a slower flow, which causes broken flows and sharp edges.”
Ilene Cox; One More Day in the Galapagos Islands; Redlands Daily Facts (California); Sep 25, 2005.

See more usage examples of aa in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

"Don't think of it as dying," said Death. "Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush." -Terry Pratchett, novelist (Apr 28 1948-2015)

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