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.
Despite its fragile structure, the Neanderthal's bone survived for approximately 75,000 years beneath seven and a half meters of rock and sediment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Thin layers of sediment separate the individual sets of remains, indicating that the bodies were deposited at different times.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Sending a robot through pipes isn’t as straightforward as it might seem: Pipes move when the soil around them shifts, and there are blockages made of sediment that the robot must be able to navigate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Urban development has changed those sediment and flow patterns. Sea-level temperatures also appear to be heating up, and that creates an expanded volume of water.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The pig was so aroused by the scent that he came out of the kraal, following a trail we had laid, gradually made his way to us, wheezing and snorting and eating the sediment.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
