Crossword Clue: Volcano output
Here's the answer to the Volcano output crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: LAVA
The answer to "Volcano output" is LAVA. Lava runs 4 letters — 2 vowels and 2 consonants — opening with L and closing on A. In a grid it fills a 4-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Lava comes from the Italian dialect word for a stream, originally describing rainwater runoff before naming molten rock. Two A's and light consonants make it easy to cross, and it also evokes lamps and soap.
Common usage
You'll see LAVA in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the L or A, LAVA tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like LAVA are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet LAVA again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and LAVA will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue LAVA — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Once the L was confirmed by the crossing word, LAVA was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Volcano output'? That's LAVA nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed LAVA was right."