sapropel

[ sap-ruh-pel ]

/ ˈsæp rəˌpɛl /

Save This Word!

noun

mud consisting chiefly of decomposed organic matter formed at the bottom of a stagnant sea or lake.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sapropel

1905–10; sapro- + -pel<Greek pēlós mud

OTHER WORDS FROM sapropel

sap·ro·pel·ic, adjective

Words nearby sapropel

saprobiology, saprobiont, saprogen, saprogenic, saprolite, sapropel, saprophagous, saprophyte, saprotroph, saprozoic, SAPS

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for sapropel

sapropel

/ (ˈsæprəˌpɛl) /

noun

an unconsolidated sludge consisting of the decomposed remains of aquatic organisms, esp algae, that accumulates at the bottoms of lakes and oceans

Derived forms of sapropel

sapropelic, adjective

Word Origin for sapropel

C20: from sapro- + -pel from Greek pēlos mud

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

Scientific definitions for sapropel

sapropel

[ săp′rə-pĕl′ ]

An unconsolidated ooze consisting mainly of putrefied plant remains and found in anaerobic areas at the bottom of swamps, lakes, and shallow seas.