sediment

noun

sed·i·ment | \ ˈse-də-mənt

Definition of sediment

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

2 : material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers

sediment

verb

sed·i·ment | \ ˈse-də-ˌment

sedimented; sedimenting; sediments

Definition of sediment (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to deposit as sediment

intransitive verb

1 : to settle to the bottom in a liquid

2 : to deposit sediment

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sediment

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sediment

Synonyms: Noun

deposit, deposition, dregs, grounds, precipitate, settlings

Synonyms: Verb

lay, settle

Antonyms: Verb

raise

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

Officials say the die-off in December was caused by rusting metal pipes and bacteria in sediment that accumulated for years in the piping. — USA TODAY, "Animation behind bars, Elliott the elk, SkyStar: News from around our 50 states," 10 Sep. 2019 Traces left in sediments indicated that something was moving through them, and one odd disk-like creature appeared to have had a bilateral body plan. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Before life exploded in the Cambrian, there were worms," 4 Sep. 2019 Opening the Bonnet Carré also deposits millions of cubic yards of sediment in the Mississippi River floodway. — Thomas Frank, Scientific American, "Floodwaters Diverted from New Orleans Killed Off Marine Life," 17 Sep. 2019 News of the stoppage comes 71 hauling days into the four-year project, which has so far seen diesel trucks haul away some 360,000 cubic yards of sediment in 24,818 truck trips, according to county figures. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "Devil’s Gate work halted for dust issues, project cited 3 times by AQMD," 11 Sep. 2019 Water then rushed back into the crater, depositing a significant layer of sediments. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "The Terrifying Final Hours of the Dinosaurs' Reign on Earth," 10 Sep. 2019 Due to the pressure loss, there may be trapped air or loose sediment in water lines. — Wayne K. Roustan, sun-sentinel.com, "Nearly 38,000 affected by boil water notice issued in Hallandale Beach," 28 Aug. 2019 No doubt there are a lot more answers lying beneath the sediment in those cabins, says Ryan. — Roff Smith, National Geographic, "Arctic shipwreck 'frozen in time' astounds archaeologists," 28 Aug. 2019 Not fining or filtering wine also explains why natural wine sometimes has a lot of sediment in the bottle. — NBC News, "What is natural wine? And is it better for you?," 11 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The cores, presented here today at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, were captured at the farthest extent of the ash’s reach, recorded as wisps of tephra in finely sedimented, ancient mud uplifted near the ocean floor. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "Yellowstone’s massive volcano could erupt more frequently than scientists thought," 25 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sediment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.