sedimentation

American  

[sed-uh-muhn-tey-shuhn] / ˌsɛd ə mənˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the deposition or accumulation of sediment.

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sedimentation British  

/ ˌsɛdɪmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the process of formation of sedimentary rocks

2. the deposition or production of sediment

3. chem biochem the process by which large molecules or macroscopic particles are concentrated in a centrifugal field in a centrifuge or ultracentrifuge

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Other Word Forms

• self-sedimentation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sedimentation

First recorded in 1870–75; sediment + -ation

Explanation

The process of particles settling to the bottom of a body of water is called sedimentation. In lakes and rivers, sedimentation can sometimes cause problems for the organisms living there. The best thing about sedimentation is that it can tell geologists a lot about lakes, rivers, and rocky areas from the clues it leaves behind. Layers of sediment in rocks from past sedimentation show the action of currents, reveal fossils, and give evidence of human activity. Sedimentation can be traced back to the Latin sedimentum, "a settling or a sinking down."

Example Sentences

Sedimentation is known to have "profound negative ecological consequences", Reid added.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Sedimentation could begin to fill Sonoma Creek and the Napa River.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2018

Sedimentation tanks that settle out impurities aren’t functional because motors that drive pumps and equipment to remove scum, grease and sludge were ruined by the flood.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2017

Sedimentation continued on the west coast through this time, but by the late Paleozoic, a subduction boundary had developed along the coast and small continents were moving toward North America.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Sedimentation tubes 5×0.5 cm., for sedimentation reactions, etc., and for containing small quantities of fluid to be centrifugalised in the hæmatocrit.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)