sludge

American  

[sluhj] / slʌdʒ /

noun

1. mud, mire, or ooze; slush.

2. a deposit of ooze at the bottom of a body of water.

3. any of various more or less mudlike deposits or mixtures.

4. the sediment in a steam boiler or water tank.

5. broken ice, as on the sea.

6. a mixture of some finely powdered substance and water.

7. sediment deposited during the treatment of sewage.

8. Also called activated sludge.  Bacteriology. sewage sediment that contains a heavy growth of microorganisms, resulting from vigorous aeration.

9. a fine, mudlike powder produced by a mining drill.

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sludge British  

/ slʌdʒ /

noun

1. soft mud, snow, etc

2. any deposit or sediment

3. a surface layer of ice that has a slushy appearance

4. (in sewage disposal) the solid constituents of sewage that precipitate during treatment and are removed for subsequent purification

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Other Word Forms

• de-sludge verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of sludge

First recorded in 1640–50; variant of dialectal slutch, slitch, Middle English slich “slime, wet mud” (compare its derivative slucched “muddy”); apparently of expressive origin

Example Sentences

While the tariff sludge remains, markets digested mixed economic data.

From Barron's

While the tariff sludge remains, markets digested mixed economic data.

From Barron's

Describing the sludge and silt in the tunnel area where Noah's body was eventually found, close to the M2 motorway, he said it "just sucks your feet under" in "absolutely freezing" conditions.

From BBC

For the purposes of “Crime 101,” that thoroughfare is reimagined as a quick escape route rather than the choked pipeline of sludge more familiar from reality.

From The Wall Street Journal

A new regulator, national plans to upgrade pipes and sewers, and limits on spreading sewage sludge on land are among proposals in a Welsh government shake-up of the nation's water system.

From BBC

Related Words

• goo
• grease
• gunk
• muck
• sediment
• silt
• slime