lapillus

L1A1P3I1L1L1U1S1

noun

A fragment of lava ejected from a volcano.

OriginLatin lapillus →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounlapillus (plural lapilli)

plural lapilli

  1. A fragment of lava ejected from a volcano.

    They also found rounded granules that are probably accretionary lapilli — volcanic hailstones, formed as material gathers in the air.

    2007 May 8, Henry Fountain, “It’s Still Dark Out, So Why Are the Birds Singing Away?”, in New York Times
  2. biologyOne of the otoliths in finfish.

Synonyms & antonyms

Broader
tephra
Also see
lapillo

Origin

  1. Latinlapillus
  2. Englishlapillus

From Latin lapillus.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lapillus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapillus

MLA

“lapillus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapillus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lapillus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapillus.

Source: lapillus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.