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
- 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.
Citizen scientists will then be encouraged to gather sediment from rooftops and gutters and use magnets, sieves, and microscopes provided by the project to isolate potential micrometeorites.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Geologists often attribute them to underwater landslides that push sediment into ridges and grooves.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
In addition, they are prevalent throughout the environment — in alpine snow, deep sea sediment and drinking water.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
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
It came in a carton that you shake before you drink to mix the citrusy sediment that settles on the bottom.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
