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

Waves whipped up by Ivan triggered an underwater mudslide that buried a cluster of oil wells under treacherous mounds of sediment. — Jeff Amy, The Seattle Times, "Federal lawyers: Gulf oil leak spills much more than thought," 17 Sep. 2018 Fine sediments, suspended in the water, give rivers their muddy hue. — Barbara Fraser, Discover Magazine, "Understanding the Amazon By Digging Into the Ground Beneath It," 28 Sep. 2018 Cook the curvy pink crustaceans in hot oil first, then remove them from the pan and build the sauce in the shrimpy pan sediment. — Sheryl Julian, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Toss spicy Italian puttanesca with shrimp and angel hair in this sublime summer dish," 18 June 2018 Fat molecules left in sediments by plants and microbes that lived at the time. — Howard Lee, Ars Technica, "What happened last time it was as warm as it’s going to get later this century?," 18 June 2018 The strength of the rock, cliff height, sediment composition, the slope of the beach, the slope of the seafloor, wave action, human intervention and other variables come with their own uncertainties. — Rosanna Xia, latimes.com, "Southern California's coastal communities could lose 130 feet of cliffs this century as sea levels rise," 27 June 2018 Construction will include grading, erosion control, removal and replacement of curb and gutter, backfilling, and sediment removal. — Karen Huppertz, ajc, "Lawrenceville approves emergency replacement of Thornbush Tr. culvert," 11 June 2018 Flatland consultant David Heilman recommended the riffle modification, which involves installing a sloping stepping stone system that mimics the elevation of the dam, but allows fish and sediment to wash over it. — Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, "Lake Station dam option retains river culture," 16 May 2018 Environmental agencies on Friday were investigating why workers at a construction site were pumping a slurry of water and sediment directly into the Chicago River, creating a cloudy plume beneath the Randolph Street bridge. — Peter Kendall, chicagotribune.com, "Caught on camera: Worker pumps slurry into Chicago River, and now regulators are investigating," 15 June 2018

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.