silt
[ silt ]
/ sɪlt /
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noun
earthy matter, fine sand, or the like carried by moving or running water and deposited as a sediment.
verb (used without object)
to become filled or choked up with silt.
verb (used with object)
to fill or choke up with silt.
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Origin of silt
1400–50; late Middle English cylte gravel, perhaps originally salty deposit; compare Old English unsylt unsalted, unseasoned, sylting seasoning, syltan to salt, season, Norwegian sylt salty swamp, German Sülze salt marsh, brine
OTHER WORDS FROM silt
sil·ta·tion, nounsilty, adjectivede·silt, verb (used with object)Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for silt
Disappearance of the species from the Wakarusa may have resulted from increased siltation and intermittency of flow.
Fishes of the Wakarusa River in Kansas|James E. DeaconTwo of these stations had turbid water and all suffered from siltation.
Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas|Artie L. Metcalf
British Dictionary definitions for silt
silt
/ (sɪlt) /
noun
a fine deposit of mud, clay, etc, esp one in a river or lake
verb
(usually foll by up) to fill or become filled with silt; choke
Derived forms of silt
siltation, nounsilty, adjectiveWord Origin for silt
C15: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian, Danish sylt salt marsh; related to Old High German sulza salt marsh; see salt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for silt
silt
[ sĭlt ]
A sedimentary material consisting of grains or particles of disintegrated rock, smaller than sand and larger than clay. The diameter of the particles ranges from 0.0039 to 0.0625 mm. Silt is often found at the bottom of bodies of water where it accumulates slowly by settling through the water.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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