Main Entry: ¹silt

Pronunciation: \ˈsilt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English cylte, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dial. sylt beach flooded at high tide; akin to Old High German sulza salt marsh, Old English sealt salt

Date: 15th century

1 : loose sedimentary material with rock particles usually ¹⁄₂₀ millimeter or less in diameter; also : soil containing 80 percent or more of such silt and less than 12 percent of clay
2 : a deposit of sediment (as by a river)

— silty \ˈsil-tē\ adjective