pa·hoe·hoe (p -hoi hoi )n. Lava with a smooth ropy surface. [Hawaiian p  hoehoe : p-, pref. + hoehoe, reduplication of hoe, to paddle (probably from the swirls on its surface).] |
| pahoehoe (p-hoihoi) A type of lava having a smooth, swirled surface. It is highly fluid and spreads out in shiny sheets. Compare aa. Word History The islands that make up Hawaii were born and bred from volcanoes that rose up over thousands of years from the sea floor. Volcanoes are such an important part of the Hawaiian landscape and environment that the people who originally settled Hawaii, the Polynesians, worshiped a special volcano goddess, Pele. Not surprisingly, two words have entered English from Hawaiian that are used by scientists in naming different kinds of lava flows. One, pahoehoe, refers to lava with a smooth, shiny, or swirled surface and comes from the Hawaiian verb hoe, "to paddle" (since paddles make swirls in the water). The other, aa, refers to lava having a rough surface and comes from the Hawaiian word meaning "to burn." |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | pahoehoe - freely flowing lava lava - rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos; lava is what magma is called when it reaches the surface |
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