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

One square inch of sediment may contain as much as eight miles of cables. — New York Times, "Wired Bacteria Form Nature’s Power Grid: ‘We Have an Electric Planet’," 1 July 2019 Dams hold back vast quantities of sediment in deep reservoirs. — Tristan Baurick, nola.com, "Dredging, dams and other river controls starve places downriver of much-needed sediment," 15 June 2019 On a 1987 voyage to the Antarctic, the paleoceanographer James Kennett and his crew dropped anchor in the Weddell Sea, drilled into the seabed, and extracted a vertical cylinder of sediment. — Quanta Magazine, "A World Without Clouds," 25 Feb. 2019 In 2009, with the aid of $22 million in federal and state funding,167,000 cubic yards of sediments were removed between W. Becher St. and S. Kinnickinnic Ave. — Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kinnickinnic River — but not Milwaukee's — named one of most endangered rivers in 2018," 11 Apr. 2018 Scientists used measurements of electromagnetic waves in order to map the water, which is trapped in porous sediments lying beneath the ocean. — Fox News, "Mysterious freshwater reservoir found hidden beneath the ocean," 24 June 2019 The heavy rains of spring, linked by scientists to climate change, pumped a plume of muddy brown sediment into the blue waters of Lake Erie, supercharged by runoff from rooftops and paved areas in sprawling suburbs upstream. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "Ceremony celebrates Cuyahoga River’s journey from shame to pride 50 years after fire on water," 22 June 2019 The whisky-sediment patterns are like snowflakes; each has a unique design. — Daniel Stone, National Geographic, "See these otherworldly landscapes—created by whisky," 17 June 2019 Marsh plants take root, encouraging more sediment to accumulate. — Tristan Baurick, nola.com, "Dredging, dams and other river controls starve places downriver of much-needed sediment," 15 June 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.