lava lamp
noun
plural lava lamps
: a decorative lamp constructed of a transparent glass container filled with liquid and wax that is heated by an incandescent bulb which melts the wax and causes it to form random moving shapes within the liquid
Lava lamps are back—and not just among retro hipsters lounging on shag rugs and waterbeds.—
Richard A. Kerr
Richard A. KerrThe lava lamp on my son's bureau gives him a vantage point to ponder the colorful blobs rising and falling as their temperature and density change.—Benjamin A. Brooks
Benjamin A. BrooksExamples of lava lamp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The other claims that early Earth was too hot for rigid plates, and that crust instead formed above mantle plumes rising from deep within the planet, a phenomenon comparable, Johnson said, to the wax blobs rising inside a lava lamp.
—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
5 July 2026
Aura nails are ethereal, groovy, and as effortlessly hypnotizing as a lava lamp.
—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
19 June 2026
The optical creative filter attaches over the lens magnetically and adds visual effects to the image for decorative purposes—basically, the projector equivalent of a lava lamp.
—
M. David Stone,
PC Magazine,
4 May 2026
The Science Made Magic event allows participants to create glowing lava lamps and make kaleidoscopes, using STEAM properties.
—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
There will also be an interactive videoscape that mimics a lava lamp.
—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
There is also a 10-foot lava lamp.
—
Myrna Petlicki,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Contemplating passing seasons and dead flowers, Weir’s deep, lava lamp-like flow of a vocal is as sadly ruminative as Barlow’s lyrics.
—
A.d. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
As nighttime fell, Holly sat by Hannah’s side, in the glow of two lava lamps.
—
Megan Rose,
ProPublica,
19 Dec. 2025
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Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
5 July 2026
Aura nails are ethereal, groovy, and as effortlessly hypnotizing as a lava lamp.
—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
19 June 2026
The optical creative filter attaches over the lens magnetically and adds visual effects to the image for decorative purposes—basically, the projector equivalent of a lava lamp.
—
M. David Stone,
PC Magazine,
4 May 2026
The Science Made Magic event allows participants to create glowing lava lamps and make kaleidoscopes, using STEAM properties.
—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
There will also be an interactive videoscape that mimics a lava lamp.
—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
There is also a 10-foot lava lamp.
—
Myrna Petlicki,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Contemplating passing seasons and dead flowers, Weir’s deep, lava lamp-like flow of a vocal is as sadly ruminative as Barlow’s lyrics.
—
A.d. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
As nighttime fell, Holly sat by Hannah’s side, in the glow of two lava lamps.
—
Megan Rose,
ProPublica,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lava lamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lava%20lamp. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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