silt

1 of 2

noun

1
: loose sedimentary material with rock particles usually ¹/₂₀ millimeter or less in diameter
also : soil containing 80 percent or more of such silt and less than 12 percent of clay
2
: a deposit of sediment (as by a river)
silty adjective

silt

2 of 2

verb

silted; silting; silts

intransitive verb

: to become choked or obstructed with silt
often used with up
the channel silted up

transitive verb

: to choke, fill, cover, or obstruct with silt or mud
siltation noun

Examples of silt in a Sentence

Verb The entrance to the creek had silted shut.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Prior Exploration Work Historical exploration work over Saunders included limited surficial mapping, geochemical sampling (silts, soils, and rocks) and geophysics, including ZTEM. Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 For example, studies report seasons have been extended by warmer waters and an increase in extreme rainfall washes more silt into waterways. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The dam has also trapped millions of tons of sediment behind it in Lake Powell, which deprives the Grand Canyon downstream of sand and silt. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 Moule also found out that Fluffy may have only come up to the surface recently, burying itself in silt and mud during the winter months. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024 They are carved out of the silt of the steep, nearly vertical embankments of the river near Crater Avenue in southwest Modesto. Trevor Morgan, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2024 Its six miles of broad, flat sands invite hours-long lounging and elaborate sandcastles, since the grains are rich in clay and silt, making the sand easy to pack. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2023 But in the harsh landscape, the researchers found pebbles, cobbles, and boulders in addition to sand and silt and sediments rich in organic matter. Katherine Kornei, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 Today, the underwater stilts are mostly buried under silt. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023
Verb
All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz. Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023 Cathedral-like sandstone canyons were resurrected, and sunlight reached the silt-clogged floors for the first time in generations. Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2022 Throws that made octo-contact were also more likely to be accomplished with a specific set of arms, and the projectile was more likely to be silt. Emma Marris, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2022 Faison finishes shaking; pale flecks of shell and silt float around him. Emily Cataneo, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2022 Climate change damages the streams where they are hatched, and not just by raising the water temperature: Droughts alter stream flow, forest fires destroy shoreline habitat, and mudslides silt up rivers. Joshua Partlow, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cylte, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect sylt beach flooded at high tide; akin to Old High German sulza salt marsh, Old English sealt salt

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1799, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of silt was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near silt

Cite this Entry

“Silt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

silt

1 of 2 noun
1
: very small particles left as sediment from water
also : a soil made up mostly of silt with little clay
2
: a deposit of sediment (as by a river)
silty adjective

silt

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become choked, blocked, filled, or covered with silt
the river channel silted up
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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