sediment
/ˈsɛd.ɪ.mənt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Small pieces of solid material that settle at the bottom of a liquid. It can also mean this material itself, especially in rivers, lakes, or bottles.
- The water had brown sediment at the bottom.
- Sediment collects slowly in the river.
- Pour the wine gently to avoid sediment.
verb
To settle or form a layer at the bottom of a liquid.
- The particles sedimented after a few hours.
- Mud began to sediment in the tank.
- Let the mixture sediment before filtering it.
Adinary Nuance
Sediment is the material that settles out of a liquid. It is more specific than dirt or dust, which are general words for unwanted material. In science and writing, sediment sounds more exact and technical than mud. Use it when the settling process matters.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- trầm tích
- Spanish
- sedimento
- Chinese
- 沉积物
- Japanese
- 堆積物
- Korean
- 침전물
Etymology
From Latin sedimentum, from sedere meaning 'to sit'. The idea is something that 'sits' at the bottom after settling.
Common phrases
sediment build-upsediment layersediment at the bottomsediment in water
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is sediment the same as silt?
- Not exactly. Silt is a type of fine sediment, often from soil or rivers.
- Is sediment formal or scientific?
- Yes, it is common in science, geography, and technical writing.
- Can sediment be used for wine?
- Yes. Wine can have sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
- What is the verb form of sediment?
- The verb is sediment. It means to settle at the bottom of a liquid.