sludge

[ sluhj ]

/ slʌdʒ /

noun

mud, mire, or ooze; slush.

a deposit of ooze at the bottom of a body of water.

any of various more or less mudlike deposits or mixtures.

the sediment in a steam boiler or water tank.

broken ice, as on the sea.

a mixture of some finely powdered substance and water.

sediment deposited during the treatment of sewage.

Also called activated sludge. Bacteriology. sewage sediment that contains a heavy growth of microorganisms, resulting from vigorous aeration.

a fine, mudlike powder produced by a mining drill.

Nearby words

slr, slsc, slub, slubber, slubberdegullion, sludge, sludgeworm, sludging, sludgy, slue, sluff

Origin of sludge

1640–50; variant of dial. slutch, slitch, Middle English slich slime, wet mud (compare its derivative slucched muddy); apparently of expressive orig.

Related forms

de-sludge, verb (used with object), de-sludged, de-sludg·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for desludging

sludge

/ (slʌdʒ) /

noun

soft mud, snow, etc

any deposit or sediment

a surface layer of ice that has a slushy appearance

(in sewage disposal) the solid constituents of sewage that precipitate during treatment and are removed for subsequent purification

Word Origin for sludge

C17: probably related to slush

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012