sediment

sediment — noun

1. Tiny pieces of solid matter that sink through a liquid and stay together near th

1.nounB2
Definition

Tiny pieces of solid matter that sink through a liquid and stay together near the lowest point, creating a soft, wet substance.

Example

After the river flooded, a layer of brown sediment covered the floor of the garage.

collocation: a layer of sediment

The winemaker poured slowly to avoid disturbing the sediment in the bottle.

everyday context: wine sediment

Common collocations
  • fine sediment
  • sediment settles
  • sediment builds up
  • layer of sediment
  • sediment in the bottle/glass/water
Synonyms
  • dregs

    More specific to drinks; suggests something unwanted at the very bottom (e.g., coffee dregs, wine dregs)

  • grounds

    Only used for coffee or tea particles that settle in the cup or pot

  • deposit

    Broader term; can refer to mineral buildup on any surface, not just the bottom of a liquid

Grammar Patterns

sediment + verb (settles, accumulates)

a layer of sediment

sediment in + noun

Usage Note

In everyday language this sense is uncountable (e.g., 'sediment in the wine'). In scientific or technical writing it can be countable when referring to different types ('marine sediments').

Common Mistakes

I found sediments in my tea.' (in everyday context)
I found sediment in my tea.
The uncountable form is standard for ordinary liquids.
The sediment fell on the table.
The sediment settled at the bottom of the glass.
Sediment collects at the bottom of a liquid; it does not 'fall' onto solid surfaces like a table.

2. Sand, stones, or mud that is moved by ice, wind, or flowing water and finally se

2.nounB2
Definition

Sand, stones, or mud that is moved by ice, wind, or flowing water and finally settles in a new place, slowly building up in layers.

Example

Over thousands of years, layers of sediment built up and slowly turned into solid rock.

collocation: layers of sediment

Geologists study the sediment carried by rivers to understand how ancient mountains were formed.

Common collocations
  • sediment layers
  • sediment deposits
  • river sediment
  • sediment accumulates
  • glacial sediment
Synonyms
  • deposit

    More general; used for any material left by natural processes (mineral deposits, glacial deposits)

  • alluvium

    Technical term specifically for sediment deposited by flowing water

  • silt

    Narrower; refers specifically to very fine sand or mud particles

Grammar Patterns

layers of sediment

sediment + noun (sediment layers)

Usage Note

This sense is most common in geology and earth science. Unlike sense 1, it is frequently used in the plural ('coastal sediments', 'glacial sediments') when referring to different types or sources of deposited material.

Common Mistakes

The river left sediment after it dried.' (vague)
The river deposited sediment along its banks after the flood.
Use specific verbs like 'deposit' or 'accumulate' in geological contexts.

sediment — verb

Word family

  • sedimentary
    adjectiveB2
  • sedimentation
    nounC1
  • sedimented
    adjectiveC1
  • sedimentology
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to material that collects at the bottom of something, but they differ in what kind of material and where. 'Sediment' is the most general scientific term for particles that settle in a liquid — neutral in tone and used across everyday and technical contexts. 'Dregs' is specifically about the unwanted leftovers in drinks (wine dregs, coffee dregs) and often carries a negative connotation of waste. 'Grounds' is even narrower — it only applies to coffee or tea particles. 'Sludge' describes a thick, unpleasant, semi-solid mixture, often industrial or dirty (sewage sludge, oil sludge). 'Deposit' is the broadest of all: it can be mineral scale inside a pipe, sediment at the bottom of a river, or even a layer of fat in an artery. Use 'sediment' when you want a neutral, scientific label for settled particles; use 'dregs' or 'grounds' for drinks; use 'sludge' for thick waste; and use 'deposit' when the material forms on a surface rather than just at the bottom.

sediment ↗dregsgroundssludgedeposit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a layer of sediment
  • sediment builds up
  • sediment accumulates
  • sediment settles out

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'sediment' comes from Latin 'sedimentum', meaning 'a settling, sinking down'. This was formed from 'sedere', which means 'to sit, to settle'. The word entered English in the mid-1500s, first used in alchemy and early chemistry to describe material that 'sits' at the bottom of a liquid. Its geological meaning — referring to layers of rock-forming material — developed in the 1700s as the science of geology emerged. The verb form appeared later, following the same root idea of material 'sitting down' at the bottom of water or another liquid.