magma · noun — A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
magma is pronounced /ˈmæɡ.mə/.
Why “magma” is a great word
A molten or semi-molten mixture of silicates, crystals, and gases beneath the Earth's crust, which solidifies to form igneous rock. From Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma, 'paste, thick unguent, doughy mass'). Unlike 'lava'—its designated emissary upon the world's stage—or 'dough'—that simple domestic amalgam—magma remains the hidden, subterranean original: the orange glow behind a volcanic crater at night, the slow heave of a caldera rising over decades, the viscous dream of the planet itself—proof that the ground we trust is merely a thin skin over something ancient and ungovernable.
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Etymology
From Ancient Greek μάγμα (mágma, “paste”).
noun
- A mixture of molten silicate rock, crystals, and gas within the earth, which may be erupted as lava or cool in place to form igneous intrusions.
- A basic algebraic structure consisting of a set equipped with a single binary operation.
- Any soft doughy mass.
- The residuum after expressing the juice from fruits.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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