alluvium

noun

al·​lu·​vi·​um ə-ˈlü-vē-əm How to pronounce alluvium (audio)
plural alluviums or alluvia ə-ˈlü-vē-ə How to pronounce alluvium (audio)
: clay, silt, sand, gravel, or similar detrital material deposited by running water

Examples of alluvium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 The tusk was covered with alluvium, possibly during a major flooding event, MDEQ said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2024 Scott traces their advent to a few hundred years later, in a constellation of cities that sprang up on the Mesopotamian alluvium around what was then the northern end of the Persian Gulf. Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books, 12 Mar. 2020 These waters carried debris called alluvium, that makes up the Delta's fertile soil. Richard Mason, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, alteration of Latin alluvio

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alluvium was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near alluvium

Cite this Entry

“Alluvium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alluvium. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

alluvium

noun
al·​lu·​vi·​um ə-ˈlü-vē-əm How to pronounce alluvium (audio)
plural alluviums or alluvia
-vē-ə
: soil material (as clay, silt, sand, or gravel) deposited by running water

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