sedimentary

adjective sed·i·men·ta·ry \ ˌse-də-ˈmen-tə-rē , -ˈmen-trē \

Definition of sedimentary

1 :of, relating to, or containing sediment

sedimentary deposits

2 :formed by or from deposits of sediment

sedimentary rock

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Recent Examples of sedimentary from the Web

The rocks are unique geological formations of iron oxide that form in sedimentary rock.

— lindsay whitehurst, The Seattle Times, "APNewsBreak: Investigators say US land agent took evidence," 24 Aug. 2017
The rocks are unique geological formations of iron oxide that form in sedimentary rock.

— Washington Post, "APNewsBreak: Investigators say US land agent took evidence," 24 Aug. 2017
On top of the desk, a riot of materials, several sedimentary layers worth of research papers and tools.

— christopher borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Masters of minis coming to Chicago," 5 July 2017
Karl Karlstrom, University of New Mexico In 2013, Snelling applied for a permit to study the folding of Paleozoic sedimentary structures at four locations within the Grand Canyon.

— amanda reilly, Science | AAAS, "Update: Creationist geologist wins permit to collect rocks in Grand Canyon after lawsuit," 30 June 2017
Because there’s no naturally occurring asphalt at the La Brea station site, ancient mementos pulled from its sedimentary layers will eventually wind up at the Natural History Museum.

— matthew segal, Los Angeles Magazine, "La Brea Tar Pits Museum Bracing for a Flood of Fossils This Summer," 26 June 2017
Bighorn Lake is a fisherman’s paradise as well as a watery highway that allows you to float through gorges in the shadow of 1,000-foot walls of sedimentary rock.

— amy tara koch, New York Times, "Summer Vacation, Minus the Traffic: 5 Alternatives to Popular Trips," 23 June 2017
Dolomite — a sedimentary rock similar to limestone — gives these mountains their distinctive shape and color.

— rick steves' europe, The Seattle Times, "Spectacular escapes in Europe’s scenic Alps," 20 June 2017
Sedimentary rocks composed of large grains would have formed near the shore of the lake in Gale Crater, while smaller particles travel further and contribute to rocks formed in deeper waters.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Curiosity rover finds its crater was habitable for 700 million years," 2 June 2017

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

First Known Use of sedimentary

1830

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, silt, swale

SEDIMENTARY Defined for English Language Learners

sedimentary

adjective

Definition of sedimentary for English Language Learners

: made from material that sinks to the bottom of a liquid : made from sediment

SEDIMENTARY Defined for Kids

sedimentary

adjective sed·i·men·ta·ry \ ˌse-də-ˈmen-tə-rē \

Definition of sedimentary for Students

:relating to or formed from sediment

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock.

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See words that rhyme with sedimentary Spanish Central: Translation of sedimentary Nglish: Translation of sedimentary for Spanish speakers

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sedimentary

Definition of sedimentary

Recent Examples of sedimentary from the Web

First Known Use of sedimentary

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SEDIMENTARY Defined for English Language Learners

sedimentary

Definition of sedimentary for English Language Learners

SEDIMENTARY Defined for Kids

sedimentary

Definition of sedimentary for Students

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