alluvium

noun

Definition of alluviumnext
as in colluvium

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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 alluvium What used to be open water was heading towards alluvium, and oblivion. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026 At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 The tusk was covered with alluvium, possibly during a major flooding event, MDEQ said. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2024 These waters carried debris called alluvium, that makes up the Delta's fertile soil. — Richard Mason, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021 Scott traces their advent to a few hundred years later, in a constellation of cities that sprang up on the Mesopotamian alluvium around what was then the northern end of the Persian Gulf. — Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 12 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alluvium
  1. sediment
  2. silt
  3. loess
  4. marl
  5. detritus
  6. clay
Noun
  • Nick came later, in middle school, when his father was transferred from Arizona to manage the Rust River agricultural station, specializing in loam and related sediment.
    — Tom Drury, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Mazon Creek was a swampy river delta during the Carboniferous period, and its conditions allowed sediment to rapidly cover dead plants and animals.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sediment
Noun
  • An external pre-filter head blocks silt and large particles before water is drawn into a layer filtration structure.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Its bottom is lined with soft, soupy silt that makes traditional bridge pillars impossible.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of silt
Noun
  • Spanning parts of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, the area is best known for its rolling green hills, shaped over thousands of years by windblown sediment called loess.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The base played a critical role in national defense, housing a command bunker, planted deep into the regional loess, that was designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of loess
Noun
  • Freshman Ben Smith became the first NCAA outdoor champion for Oregon in the shot put since Dean Crouser (1982) with a marl of 69-0 1/2.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 June 2026
  • Its striking blue-green hues and clarity—allowing visibility of 20 to 30 feet—are due to minimal organic runoff and calcium-rich marl sediment from its glacial origins.
    — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
Definition of marl
Noun
  • Previous seasons saw Vernon curate the subterranean room into messy domestic tableaux, with pieces nestled among scenes of dinner parties and unfinished musical manuscripts—the detritus of a chaotic creative process.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
  • These monstrous masses are themselves dark, but their formidable gravity violently vacuums up gas and other nearby matter, generating rings of hot, swirling detritus that completely outshine the stars around them.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of detritus
Noun
  • Researchers discovered a broken clay copy of the agreement there in 1906.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • When choosing a container, opt for a sophisticated material, such as clay, metal, ceramic, or terra-cotta.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clay

Browse Nearby Words

alluvions
alluvium
alluviums
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Cite this Entry

“Alluvium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alluvium. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alluvium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alluvium

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