sediment
Americannoun
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the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; lees; dregs.
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Geology. mineral or organic matter deposited by water, air, or ice.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid
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material that has been deposited from water, ice, or wind
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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.
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Particles of solid matter that settle out of a suspension to the bottom of the liquid.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sediment
1540–50; < Latin sedimentum, equivalent to sedi- (combining form of sedēre to sit 1, settle) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
Sediment is the accumulation of sand and dirt that settles in the bottom of lakes. Sediment is also what you get in the bottom of a glass of iced tea when the sugar doesn’t all dissolve. The noun sediment comes from the Latin word sedere, meaning “to settle,” or “sit.” Sediment is the little bits of solids that sink to the bottom of a container of liquid, whether that container is a body of water or a holding tank at a sewage treatment plant. Millions of years ago, lakes dried up and glaciers compressed their sediment. In this sedimentary rock, fossils are found, giving us clues about prehistoric life.
Vocabulary lists containing sediment
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Can You Dig It? Words for Dirt and Soil
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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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.
Sediment runoff, algae blooms, and organic debris can sharply reduce underwater light, sometimes transforming bright coastal waters into near night.
From Science Daily • Jan. 14, 2026
Sediment buildup has also plagued Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2024
Sediment cores collected from the Arctic have shown extensive soil runoff and carbon deposits roughly 10,000 years ago, suggesting a much warmer region than exists now, Del Vecchio said.
From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2024
Drain and flush it yearly: Sediment buildup poses a threat to tank-style heaters.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2023
How far the Transfer of Sediment from the Land to a neighbouring Sea-bottom may affect Subterranean Movements.
From The Student's Elements of Geology by Lyell, Charles, Sir
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.
