alluvium
noun
al·lu·vi·um
ə-ˈlü-vē-əm 
plural alluviums or alluvia
ə-ˈlü-vē-ə
: clay, silt, sand, gravel, or similar detrital material deposited by running water
Examples of alluvium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024
The tusk was covered with alluvium, possibly during a major flooding event, MDEQ said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2024
Scott traces their advent to a few hundred years later, in a constellation of cities that sprang up on the Mesopotamian alluvium around what was then the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
—Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 12 Mar. 2020
These waters carried debris called alluvium, that makes up the Delta's fertile soil.
—Richard Mason, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024
The tusk was covered with alluvium, possibly during a major flooding event, MDEQ said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2024
Scott traces their advent to a few hundred years later, in a constellation of cities that sprang up on the Mesopotamian alluvium around what was then the northern end of the Persian Gulf.
—Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 12 Mar. 2020
These waters carried debris called alluvium, that makes up the Delta's fertile soil.
—Richard Mason, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Alluvium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluvium. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alluvium
noun
al·lu·vi·um
ə-ˈlü-vē-əm
plural alluviums or alluvia
-vē-ə
: soil material (as clay, silt, sand, or gravel) deposited by running water
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