turbidity

Rarely tur·bid·ness

[tur-bid-i-tee]

noun

1. the state or quality of being clouded or opaque, usually because of suspended matter or stirred-up sediment.

   Other potential risks to water resources include increased turbidity from the erosion of cleared and excavated land.

Word History and Origins

Origin of turbidity¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin turbiditās, from Latin turbid(us) + -itās -ity ( def. ); turbid ( def. )

Example Sentences

These ships also risk causing turbidity, making the water opaque by stirring up the seafloor, and thereby harming the balance of species and food pyramid.

From Los Angeles Times

Worldwide, the turbidity of many coastal waters has been declining for decades, making the tidal flats sensitive to loss.

From Science Daily

In October, they placed 20 sensors off West Maui that measure temperature, salinity, oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll every five minutes.

From Seattle Times

Such action could expose cables to more abrasion or suspensions above the seabed, as well as trigger submarine landslides and greater turbidity.

From Scientific American

In 2021, about 500,000 salmon died at the Florida facility after a clogged drain increased turbidity that may have generated deadly gases.

From Science Magazine