alluvium

noun

Definition of alluviumnext
as in colluvium

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of alluvium What used to be open water was heading towards alluvium, and oblivion. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026 At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 These waters carried debris called alluvium, that makes up the Delta's fertile soil. — Richard Mason, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021 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 The tusk was covered with alluvium, possibly during a major flooding event, MDEQ said. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alluvium
  1. sediment
  2. silt
  3. loess
  4. marl
  5. detritus
  6. clay
Noun
  • At Walhalla Glades, the carbon instead sat within silicate-rich sediment.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 4 July 2026
  • The results showed that even after weeks of biological growth and sediment buildup, which heavily obscured the test targets, the system successfully identified every single weapon.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of sediment
Noun
  • The valley floor is silt and loess left by the ice-age Missoula Floods, the glacial-lake megafloods that repeatedly drowned the region.
    — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The Hansen Dam Aquatic Center pool was constructed in 1999 in a $15-million project to replace a previous pool in the area that was filled with silt.
    — Dante Estrada, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of silt
Noun
  • The Rhône's predominantly granite soils versus Walla Walla's basalt bedrock, riverbed cobbles, and windblown loess.
    — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The death toll was so high partly because many people lived in cave dwellings carved into soft loess soil.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
Definition of loess
Noun
  • Freshman Ben Smith became the first NCAA outdoor champion for Oregon in the shot put since Dean Crouser (1982) with a marl of 69-0 1/2.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 June 2026
  • Its striking blue-green hues and clarity—allowing visibility of 20 to 30 feet—are due to minimal organic runoff and calcium-rich marl sediment from its glacial origins.
    — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026
Definition of marl
Noun
  • Based on carbon dating and artifacts, detritus and animal remains found at the site, Carr and others concluded the circle had likely been the foundation for a wooden ceremonial building dating back around 2,000 years.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • Rather, our solar system is a celestial shooting gallery, chock-full of flying projectiles—not just meteoroids but larger bodies, such as comets, asteroids, and other cosmic detritus—and Earth is right in the firing line.
    — Govert Schilling, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
Definition of detritus
Noun
  • The importance of falling well has only grown as players have adapted movement patterns from clay and hard courts to grass.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 3 July 2026
  • That meant ditching some of the traditional tools used in vehicle design, like the clay models used by car designers since the 1930s.
    — Andrew Staples, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of clay

Browse Nearby Words

alluvions
alluvium
alluviums
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Cite this Entry

“Alluvium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alluvium. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alluvium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alluvium

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