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Synonyms

sediment

American  
[sed-uh-muhnt, sed-uh-ment] / ˈsɛd ə mənt, ˈsɛd əˌmɛnt /

noun

  1. the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; lees; dregs.

  2. Geology. mineral or organic matter deposited by water, air, or ice.

verb (used with object)

  1. to deposit as sediment.

verb (used without object)

  1. to form or deposit sediment.

sediment British  
/ ˌsɛdɪˈmɛntəs, ˈsɛdɪmənt /

noun

  1. matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

  2. material that has been deposited from water, ice, or wind

"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
sediment Scientific  
/ sĕd′ə-mənt /

  1. Geology Solid fragmented material, such as silt, sand, gravel, chemical precipitates, and fossil fragments, that is transported and deposited by water, ice, or wind or that accumulates through chemical precipitation or secretion by organisms, and that forms layers on the Earth's surface. Sedimentary rocks consist of consolidated sediment.

  2. Particles of solid matter that settle out of a suspension to the bottom of the liquid.

Other Word Forms

  • sedimentous adjective
  • self-sedimented adjective

Etymology

Origin of sediment

1540–50; < Latin sedimentum, equivalent to sedi- (combining form of sedēre to sit 1, settle) + -mentum -ment

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.

The water that poured out of the lake picked up stones, sand and other sediment as it flowed through the rocky mountain channels, triggering a series of landslides along the way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

However, these environments have been significantly altered over time due to sediment buildup and the construction of dams, which fragment waterways.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

“Post-fire impacts can change over time, depending on rainfalls, runoffs and sediment movements,” said Eugenia Ermacora, manager of the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation’s L.A. chapter, which has partnered with Held’s team to collect samples.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

When sediment accumulates more quickly, the concentration is lower.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

Tree-ear was rubbing the sediment between his fingers, as he always did.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

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.