Meanings
nounpahoehoe (plural pahoehoes)
plural pahoehoes
- A form of lava flow of basaltic rock, usually dark-colored with a smooth or ropey surface. It is one of two chief forms of lava flow emitted from volcanoes of the Hawaiian type, the other form being aa.
We [...] saw ‘pahoihoi’ or solid lava forming, and also ‘aa’ or clinkers.
1859, R. C. Haskell, American journal of science and arts, series XXVIII1 more example
The twisty, ropy kind that personifies flow – all congealed motion – is called pahoehoe.
2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 44
Origin
- Hawaiianpāhoehoe
- Hawaiianpāhoehoe
- Englishpahoehoe
Borrowed from Hawaiian pāhoehoe.
More words from Hawaiian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch gladde lava
- gladde lavaform of lava flow
German Pahoehoe-Lava, Fladenlava
- Pahoehoe-Lavaform of lava flow
- Fladenlavaform of lava flow
Icelandic helluhraun
- helluhraunform of lava flow
Japanese パホイホイ溶岩
- パホイホイ溶岩 (pahoihoi yōgan)form of lava flow
Portuguese lava encordoada, pahoehoe
- lava encordoadaform of lava flow
- pahoehoeform of lava flow
Cite this entry
APA
pahoehoe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pahoehoe
MLA
“pahoehoe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pahoehoe. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pahoehoe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pahoehoe.
Source: pahoehoe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.