interbed

1 of 2

verb

in·​ter·​bed ˌin-tər-ˈbed 

interbedded; interbedding

intransitive verb

: to lie or settle in sedimentary layers between other existing layers

… consists of … sandstones of variable thickness that interbed with grey and greenish shales.

—D. J. W. Piper

interbedded adjective

The factory crushed shale extracted from the site, discarded the interbedded limestone, and baked the clay into bricks.

—Patrick L. Hamilton

interbed

2 of 2

noun

plural interbeds

: a typically thin layer of one kind of sedimentary material located between layers of another kind

… it ranges from boulder gravel to pebble gravel, with local interbeds of sand …

—R. B. Morrison

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1858, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1942, in the meaning defined above