silt

noun \ ˈsilt \

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

Keller said his agency usually spends all its time dredging silt, so assisting in a serious situation like Friday's was a change of pace.

— frank s. abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "'We're moving in the right direction': Fox Waterway cresting just below record," 17 July 2017
This spot, like many on the Brule and other rivers in the state, had become choked with silt; trout reproduction was drastically reduced.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Retired fisheries biologist shares wonder of Brule River's underwater world," 1 July 2017
Mobile Bay, about 30 miles long and half as wide, is fed from the north by five rivers, so that depending on the tide and inland rains, the bay smells some days of sea salt, and others of river silt.

— brian schutmaat, Smithsonian, "Racing the Storm: The Story of the Mobile Bay Sailing Disaster," 29 June 2017
Both Ohio and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the shipping channels, have been working on finding new ways of the silt that is dredged from harbors to keep them navigable.

— staff, cleveland.com, "Comment here on cleveland.com court and crime stories for Monday, June 26, 2017," 26 June 2017
Meanwhile, the lagoon — Southern California’s only freshwater lagoon — has been filling with silt and sediment since the last time it was dredged in 1983.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trio of hotels set for Buena Vista Lagoon," 26 June 2017
In lower-salinity conditions, their eggs sink to the bottom and are covered by silt or gobbled by predators.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Cindy will lead to speckled trout boom, guide says," 21 June 2017
Otherwise, not only will vehicles and heavy equipment get stuck in the fine silt, but the playa's notoriously flat surface will be damaged.

— jenny kane, USA TODAY, "Burning Man: Yes, we've noticed the water on the playa," 16 June 2017
All that sandy soil and silt from the crumbling banks – combined with spillway debris washing down – have created massive new sandbars and covered large portions of the river bottom.

— ryan sabalow, sacbee.com, "Some say Oroville Dam crisis trashed the Feather River. Is the state responsible?," 16 June 2017

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

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

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

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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silty

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Recent Examples of silt from the Web

Origin and Etymology of silt

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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

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