sludge

noun \ ˈsləj \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: sludge in a Sentence

Definition of sludge

1 : mud, mire; especially : a muddy deposit (as on a riverbed) : ooze

2 : a muddy or slushy mass, deposit, or sediment: such as

a : precipitated solid matter produced by water and sewage treatment processes

b : muddy sediment in a steam boiler

c : a precipitate or settling (such as a mixture of impurities and acid) from a mineral oil

3 : slush 5

—

sludgy

play \ˈslə-jē\ adjective

See sludge defined for English-language learners

See sludge defined for kids

Examples of sludge in a Sentence

after a day of heavy rain, the fairgrounds had turned into pure sludge
I can't bring myself to read that sludge.

Recent Examples of sludge from the Web

Harrington is an expert who got the idea after being called in to help clean up after the Gold King Mine blowout in southern Colorado, which unleashed toxic sludge into waterways.

— alicia acuna, Fox News, "Colorado town hopes to strike gold by converting abandoned mine into fresh water reservoir," 3 July 2018
Pictures taken in 1992 show standing pools of black sludge where two underground storage tanks were removed.

— brian slodysko, Houston Chronicle, "Pence family gas stations left costly environmental legacy," 13 July 2018
Pictures taken in 1992 show standing pools of black sludge where two underground storage tanks were removed.

— brian slodysko, chicagotribune.com, "Cleanup of Pence family gas stations cost Indiana more than $20 million," 13 July 2018
Fallen trees and sludge are blocking tunnels on the main highways, slowing the flow of goods in mountainous Japan.

— mayumi negishi, WSJ, "Japan Flooding, Mudslides Kill More Than a Hundred People," 9 July 2018
Sometimes Colombo will unearth old coins, bottles or jewelry in the sand and sludge.

— lizzie johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stinson Beach parking lot still crumbling after storm — and fix is uncertain," 10 Apr. 2018
The sludge is a byproduct of New Yorkers’ excrement.

— Washington Post, "Alabama mayor: ‘Poop train’ finally empty; sludge gone," 19 Apr. 2018
The landfill in Adamsville got approval in December 2016 from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to import the sludge from seven wastewater treatment plants in New York and New Jersey to use as alternative cover for the landfill.

— dennis pillion, AL.com, "New York poop train won't derail Parrish Coal Fest," 6 Apr. 2018
Aquaplancton has been clearing ponds of all types of algae, green water, string algae, sludge, slime, odor, and clogged filter for over 20 years.

— Country Living, "NO MORE POND ALGAE—NATURALLY VOTED HOME AND GARDEN “PRODUCT OF THE YEAR”," 19 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of sludge

Middle English slugge, perhaps alteration of slicche mud, slush; akin to Old High German slīh mire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

sludge Synonyms

Synonyms

guck (or gook), mire, muck, mud, ooze, slime, slop, slush;

Related Words

gumbo, silt;

clay, dirt, gravel, humus, loam, sand, soil;

SLUDGE Defined for English Language Learners

sludge

noun

Definition of sludge for English Language Learners

: thick, soft, wet mud
: a soft, thick material that is produced in various industrial processes (such as in the treatment of sewage)
: a thick material that can form in the oil in an engine and cause engine problems