turbidity

American  

[tur-bid-i-tee] / tɜrˈbɪd ɪ ti /

Rarely turbidness

noun

1. the state or quality of being clouded or opaque, usually because of suspended matter or stirred-up sediment.

   Other potential risks to water resources include increased turbidity from the erosion of cleared and excavated land.

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Etymology

Origin of turbidity

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin turbiditās, from Latin turbid(us) + -itās -ity ( def. ); see turbid ( def. )

Explanation

Turbidity is a quality of cloudiness or murkiness, particularly of water. The turbidity of the lake at your summer camp might make you wonder if the water is safe for swimming (of course, if you stand there wondering for too long, your bunkmate might push you in). When the turbidity of a liquid is high, that means it's hard to see light through it — it's nearly opaque. A body of water's turbidity can reflect how healthy it might be for organisms living there. For example, the turbidity of your fish tank can tell you a lot about how recently it's been cleaned. The Latin source of this word, turbidus, means "muddy or full of confusion."

Example Sentences

Turbidity can be an issue with Ashokan water due to silty water flowing in.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2022

Turbidity “curtains” that will block sediment from flowing downriver and drop it to the surface are being placed on Santa Ana and Coyote creeks and near an intake structure for Castaic Dam, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2018

Ruffner says Turbidity happens naturally and is not “the end of the world.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2018

Turbidity is generally caused by the presence of very finely divided suspended matter, usually silt or clay, which is inert to hypochlorites.

From Chlorination of Water by Race, Joseph

Turbidity is consistently more than 100 ppm in the lower portions of the mainstream and major tributaries, but is usually lower in the upper portions of tributaries.

From Fishes of the Wakarusa River in Kansas by Deacon, James E.