sedimentary rock

Cultural

Rock that has formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment, especially sediment transported by water (rivers, lakes, and oceans), ice (glaciers), and wind. Sedimentary rocks are often deposited in layers, and frequently contain fossils.

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Limestone and shale are common sedimentary rocks.

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.

For centuries, Lake Maracaibo’s environs were known for natural seepage of oil rising to the surface from sedimentary rock, a phenomenon also seen in sites like Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

Shale is, after all, the most common sedimentary rock and found all over the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

This basin is filled with kilometers of looser sedimentary rock which make seismic ground shaking stronger, and the new data can help scientists make more accurate models of future ground shaking in the area.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2024

But which sedimentary rock is that metamorphic rock derived from, hmm?

From Slate • Jan. 12, 2024

Except for the igneous outcropping in which the mine is located, this whole valley is sedimentary rock, probably for a depth of several hundred feet.

From The Blue Ghost Mystery by Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023