noun
1.
earthy matter, fine sand, or the like carried by moving or running water and deposited as a sediment.
verb (used without object)
2.
to become filled or choked up with silt.
verb (used with object)
3.
to fill or choke up with silt.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English cylte gravel, perhaps orig. salty deposit; compare Old English unsylt unsalted, unseasoned, sylting seasoning, syltan to salt, season, Norwegian sylt salty swamp, German Sülze salt marsh, brine
1400–50; late Middle English cylte gravel, perhaps orig. salty deposit; compare Old English unsylt unsalted, unseasoned, sylting seasoning, syltan to salt, season, Norwegian sylt salty swamp, German Sülze salt marsh, brine
Related forms
sil·ta·tion, noun
silt·y, adjective
de·silt, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To silt
Collins
World English Dictionary
silt (sɪlt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a fine deposit of mud, clay, etc, esp one in a river or lake |
| —vb | |
| 2. | ( |
| [C15: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian, Danish sylt salt marsh; related to Old High German sulza salt marsh; see | |
| sil'tation | |
| —n | |
| 'silty | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Silt
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
| to flee; abscond: |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
silt
c.1440, originally "sediment deposited by seawater," probably from M.L.G. or M.Du. silte, sulte "salt marsh, brine," related to O.E. sealt, O.H.G. sulza "saltwater," Ger. Sulze "brine" (see salt). The verb meaning "to become choked with silt" (of river channels, harbors, etc.) is attested from 1799.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
silt  (sĭlt) Pronunciation Key
A sedimentary material consisting of grains or particles of disintegrated rock, smaller than sand and larger than clay. The diameter of the particles ranges from 0.0039 to 0.0625 mm. Silt is often found at the bottom of bodies of water where it accumulates slowly by settling through the water. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud.
Silt gradually filled it, and the area became a seasonal salt marsh.
Rippled silt covered the wooden floor, the air thick with the smell of the river that carried it in.
Spoon in porcini liquid, leaving behind any silt in bottom of bowl.
Nearby Words
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