alluvial
Americanadjective
noun
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alluvial soil.
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Australia. gold-bearing alluvial soil.
adjective
noun
-
another name for alluvium
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alluvium containing any heavy mineral, esp gold
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alluvial
First recorded in 1795–1805; alluvi(um) + -al 1
Explanation
Alluvial refers to the stuff left behind by running water. Think of a city in the aftermath of a flood — streets littered with things that had once been floating — tree branches, parts of buildings, and lots of sand and silt. Alluvial comes from the Latin word for washed, but the stuff water leaves behind doesn't often feel clean. In fact, the word is so closely associated with leftover debris that its meaning goes beyond flooding. If you have a party when your parents are out of town, you’d better get up early and clean up all the alluvial evidence.
Vocabulary lists containing alluvial
Water Hazard: Words for Too Much Moisture
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Canada - Middle School and High School
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Cosmos
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kiarie explains that women have been finding small quantities of alluvial gold along the same seasonal riverbed for years, typically earning $8-$23 a week.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Because Sardis sits on an alluvial plain, some trenches extend as much as 12 meters underground.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
In Hatay, the worst-hit province, many settlements there were built on risky alluvial ground.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
“The weaker alluvial sediments can amplify shaking, and mountains are vulnerable to landsliding, including along the roads that lead to mountain villages.”
From National Geographic ● Sep. 11, 2023
I wondered why my father worked so hard panning for diamonds in the alluvial mines, diamonds that he would not be allowed to keep.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
