Meaning & use

sediment

noun·Academic

Solid material, such as sand, silt, or mud, that settles at the bottom of a liquid.

See it in a sentence

A thin layer of sediment had built up at the bottom of the old fish tank.

Geologists study layers of sediment to learn about the region's ancient climate.

A note on using this word

Common across everyday contexts, like wine or coffee, and scientific ones, like geology and river ecosystems.

Words with a similar meaning

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