sediment

1 of 2

noun

sed·​i·​ment ˈse-də-mənt 

1

: the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

2

: material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers

sediment

2 of 2

verb

sed·​i·​ment ˈse-də-ˌment 

sedimented; sedimenting; sediments

transitive verb

: to deposit as sediment

intransitive verb

1

: to settle to the bottom in a liquid

2

: to deposit sediment

Synonyms

Noun

• deposit
• deposition
• dregs
• grounds
• precipitate
• settlings

Verb

• lay
• settle

Examples of sediment in a Sentence

Noun

There was a layer of sediment in the bottom of the tank.

the sediment at the bottom of the river needs to be routinely dredged so that it doesn't interfere with barge traffic

Verb

the water flowing into the reservoir is sedimenting silt faster than was originally expected

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The county has also spent more than $1 billion since 2001 on removing sediment from reservoirs to ensure their water-catching capacity isn’t diminished. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024

On top of that, the shallowness made excavations tricky because strong winds caused waves that stirred up the sediment on the bottom of the sea. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin sedimentum settling, from sedēre to sit, sink down

First Known Use

Noun

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

sediment

noun

sed·​i·​ment

ˈsed-ə-mənt

1

: the material from a liquid that settles to the bottom

2

: material (as stones and sand) deposited by water, wind, or glaciers

sediment

-ˌment

verb

Medical Definition

sediment

1 of 2 noun

sed·​i·​ment ˈsed-ə-mənt 

: the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

sediment

2 of 2 transitive verb

sed·​i·​ment -ˌment 

: to deposit as sediment

the synaptosomes were sedimented by centrifugation

intransitive verb

1

: to settle to the bottom in a liquid

let the red blood cells sediment for 30 minutes

2

: to deposit sediment