silt

1 of 2

noun

ˈsilt 

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

silt

2 of 2

verb

silted; silting; silts

intransitive verb

: to become choked or obstructed with silt

—often used with up

the channel silted up

transitive verb

: to choke, fill, cover, or obstruct with silt or mud

siltation

sil-ˈtā-shən 

noun

Examples of silt in a Sentence

Verb

The entrance to the creek had silted shut.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The river’s silts, which lacked oxygen, preserved the materials in good condition. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

Eventually, the objects sank, hidden and entombed, in more than six feet of oozing peat and silt. —Franz Lidz, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024

The muck was reportedly filled with the typical construction byproducts of sand, silt, and water, but also accelerants used to set the grout in the tunnels. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024

Coffman said the sediment flowing down the Klamath out of the reservoirs was composed of dead algae, fine silts and solids, and gravels. —The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024

That canal has now been drained so that crews can remove excess silt and debris while the Westfield bridge is closed and a new bridge is built. —Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Feb. 2024

After the lakebed dries out, contractors will be able to move the silt at the bottom. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024

In between the two in size is silt, a mix of rock dust and minerals often found in fertile flood plains. —Brian Darby, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

The silt covered and killed marine plants and bottom-dwelling creatures. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024

Verb

All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz. —Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023

Cathedral-like sandstone canyons were resurrected, and sunlight reached the silt-clogged floors for the first time in generations. —Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2022

Throws that made octo-contact were also more likely to be accomplished with a specific set of arms, and the projectile was more likely to be silt. —Emma Marris, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2022

Faison finishes shaking; pale flecks of shell and silt float around him. —Emily Cataneo, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2022

Climate change damages the streams where they are hatched, and not just by raising the water temperature: Droughts alter stream flow, forest fires destroy shoreline habitat, and mudslides silt up rivers. —Joshua Partlow, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1799, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

silt

1 of 2 noun

ˈsilt 

1

: very small particles left as sediment from water

also : a soil made up mostly of silt with little clay

2

: a deposit of sediment (as by a river)

silty

ˈsil-tē 

adjective

silt

2 of 2 verb

: to make or become choked, blocked, filled, or covered with silt

the river channel silted up