sediment 1 of 2

as in to settle
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the water flowing into the reservoir is sedimenting silt faster than was originally expected

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sediment

2 of 2

noun

as in silt
matter that settles to the bottom of a body of liquid the sediment at the bottom of the river needs to be routinely dredged so that it doesn't interfere with barge traffic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sediment
Verb
The exploration data collected to-date indicates that previous historical open pit heap leaching operations did not advance their plans to develop attractive, wide, shallow gold-silver mineralization hosted in major structural zones in the Bisbee Group sediments west of the Contention Pit. Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Noun
The team used tiny dental tools to remove each layer of sediment and dust and ended up finding thousands of small, sharp blades and the larger pieces of rock from which these blades were chipped. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2025 Curiosity has traveled over 21 miles from its landing site since 2012, and has obtained multiple drill site samples from layers of Martian sediment beneath it. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
  • For all the chaos and strife of the tariffs in the opening act of his second term, Trump’s U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal, which went into effect in 2020, and his negotiations with China during his first term indicate some ability not just to pick economic fights but to try to settle them.
    Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Lindblad also lost steam, settling for par on every hole after the 11th.
    Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As part of the restoration process, research divers armed with metal detectors recently hit the water to see what was buried below the silt and sediment.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Best says the murky water can be full of tannins and algae and, once he’s started reaching for balls on the bottom, the disturbed silt reduces visibility dramatically.
    Don Riddell, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Such pavers allow stormwater to be gradually filtered to the lot’s subbase, reducing flooding in the watershed and along the West Branch of the DuPage River, the release said.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
  • And every disappearance is a tragedy for the forest ecosystem and the humans that depend on it to filter their water and air.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The finale features Dan's passionate support of his dead wife during a deposition for a lawsuit against the opioid company.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • An attorney for the governor, Scott Eckersley, later said in a deposition that Martin tried to block the release of government emails and told employees to delete their messages.
    Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Investors appeared to focus on record quarterly loan production of $1.4 billion and deposit growth of $635.5 million.
    Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • About 60 percent of international deposits and bank loans are written in U.S. dollars, and about 70 percent of public bonds purchased in a currency other than a country’s home currency are denominated in U.S. dollars, according to researchers.
    Tobias Burns, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Once completed, the smelter will produce 90,000 tonnes of mixed hydroxide precipitate, a crucial material for making EV batteries.
    Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Says the report: The calomel is captured as a precipitate and transferred to a mercury recycler who presumably converts it to elemental mercury and sells it into commerce. . . .
    Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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