silt

noun \ ˈsilt \

Updated on: 7 May 2018

Definition of silt

1 : loose sedimentary material with rock particles usually ¹/₂₀ millimeter or less in diameter; also : soil containing 80 percent or more of such silt and less than 12 percent of clay

2 : a deposit of sediment (as by a river)

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silty

play \ˈsil-tē\ adjective

See silt defined for English-language learners

See silt defined for kids

Recent Examples of silt from the Web

The fluctuations in the river damaged huge stretches of spawning habitat below the dam, covering them in silt and spillway debris.

— ryan sabalow, sacbee, "A million salmon were released into the Sacramento River. So why are anglers unhappy? | The Sacramento Bee," 2 May 2018
If layers of silt aren’t removed, the shallow river’s regatta business, which generates millions of dollars locally, will be in serious jeopardy over the next few years.

— aubrey nagle, Philly.com, "Philly Starbucks arrest sparks national outrage, improper ICE arrests overlooked | Morning Newsletter," 16 Apr. 2018
Along with silt, sand, debris and possibly raw sewage, floodwaters also force rats from their homes, the newsletter advised.

— sheila vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "What you need to know ahead of flood cleanup in Greater Cincinnati," 20 Feb. 2018
Taking a third of that away each year, engineers worry, would stir up huge quantities of silt.

— The Economist, "China has built the world’s largest water-diversion project," 5 Apr. 2018
Malcolm is a retired engineer and has said that, according to his calculations, the silt-type soil will not be able to handle the weight of the condominium building.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Developers for Rocky River project on Lake Road cite misconceptions," 2 Apr. 2018
Some 250 of these objects were discovered during the past quarter century, buried beneath the seafloor under layers of silt and sediment, not far from the Egyptian harbors of Alexandria and Aboukir Bay.

— edward rothstein, WSJ, "‘Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds’ Review: Treasures Beneath the Waves," 27 Mar. 2018
In August 2015, bottled water disappeared from store shelves in Taipei for half a week after the city's tap water ran murky because of silt contamination caused by a typhoon.

— ralph jennings, latimes.com, "Taiwan goes on a panic-buying spree — for toilet paper," 15 Mar. 2018
Areas farther from the river got just enough silt and clay particles to rise only slightly above the sea, becoming swamps.

— richard campanella, The Atlantic, "How Humans Sank New Orleans," 6 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of silt

Middle English cylte, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect sylt beach flooded at high tide; akin to Old High German sulza salt marsh, Old English sealt salt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Geology Terms

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

silt

verb

Definition of silt

intransitive verb

: to become choked or obstructed with silt —often used with up

the channel silted up

transitive verb

: to choke, fill, cover, or obstruct with silt or mud

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siltation

play \sil-ˈtā-shən\ noun

See silt defined for English-language learners

Examples of silt in a Sentence

The entrance to the creek had silted shut.

Recent Examples of silt from the Web

Meanwhile, Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said crews have de-silted the channel at the north end of the county except for the portion on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) property.

— karen zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Officials look for solutions to flooding in Katy, greater Houston area," 9 Apr. 2018
And once that soil was gone, it was gone for good, silting up the seabed and exposing the old bony rock beneath Europe’s soft topside.

— bella bathurst, Newsweek, "Kill the Plough, Save Our Soils," 29 May 2014
Elsewhere in the state, a smattering of farmers are trying other techniques for capturing nitrate—collecting it in engineered wetlands on their soggier fields, for example, or in silted-in oxbow river bends excavated to hold more water.

— National Geographic, "The Simple River-Cleaning Tactics That Big Farms Ignore," 7 Dec. 2017
Soon, piers and warehouses were abandoned, General Electric was poisoning the Hudson with PCBs and the East River had silted up and become a de facto dump, with rusted cars clustering around the base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

— gina levay, Smithsonian, "How New York City Is Rediscovering Its Maritime Spirit," 29 May 2017
In the end, the studies showed that changes in the tide dynamics would be detrimental to the environment — and that the barrages would silt up very quickly.

— nancy lord, Alaska Dispatch News, "Fascinating book on tides includes Alaska," 12 Aug. 2017
Soon, piers and warehouses were abandoned, General Electric was poisoning the Hudson with PCBs and the East River had silted up and become a de facto dump, with rusted cars clustering around the base of the Brooklyn Bridge.

— gina levay, Smithsonian, "How New York City Is Rediscovering Its Maritime Spirit," 2 May 2017

First Known Use of silt

1799

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Geology Terms

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

SILT Defined for English Language Learners

silt

noun

Definition of silt for English Language Learners

: sand, soil, mud, etc., that is carried by flowing water and that sinks to the bottom of a river, pond, etc.

silt

verb

Definition of silt for English Language Learners

: to become blocked, filled, or covered with silt
: to block, fill, or cover (something) with silt

SILT Defined for Kids

silt

noun \ ˈsilt \

Definition of silt for Students

1 : particles of small size left as sediment from water

2 : a soil made up mostly of silt and containing little clay

silt

verb

Definition of silt for Students

silted; silting

: to fill, cover, or block with silt

Learn More about silt

See words that rhyme with silt Spanish Central: Translation of silt Nglish: Translation of silt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of silt for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about silt

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silt

Definition of silt

silty

Recent Examples of silt from the Web

Origin and Etymology of silt

Other Geology Terms

silt

Definition of silt

siltation

Examples of silt in a Sentence

Recent Examples of silt from the Web

First Known Use of silt

Other Geology Terms

SILT Defined for English Language Learners

silt

Definition of silt for English Language Learners

silt

Definition of silt for English Language Learners

SILT Defined for Kids

silt

Definition of silt for Students

silt

Definition of silt for Students

Learn More about silt

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