pahoehoe

noun

pa·​ho·​e·​hoe pə-ˈhō-ē-ˌhō-ē 

geology

: basaltic lava having a smooth, often billowy, shiny surface

Thick, folded lava such as this is known by its Hawaiian nickname of pahoehoe. A highly fluid lava, pahoehoe spreads in thin sheets and is sculpted into ropy folds as flow continues below the hardening surface.

—G. Brad Lewis

… pahoehoe flows resemble pancake batter poured into a pan; these flows are thin, spread out, and tend to move faster than a'a flows.

—Brian Curtiss

compare aa

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hawaiian pāhoehoe

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above