silt

/sɪlt/

/sɪlt/

Other forms: silted; silting; silts

Silt is the fine bits of clay and sand that become sediment settling at the bottom of a river or lake. If there's a lot of silt flowing in a river, it looks murky.

Silt is the super-fine dirt that you might see at the bottom of a lake or river. When your feet touch silt it feels slimy, and once it’s stirred it up the water looks muddy. Where the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico, a lot of silt has been deposited and over time has built up a portion of land called the Mississippi Delta. The region surrounding this accumulation of silt is home to music called the Delta Blues.

Definitions of silt

1. noun

   mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake
   type of:

   dirt, soil

   the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
2. verb

   become chocked with silt
   “The river silted up”

   synonyms: silt up

   type of:

   back up, choke, choke off, clog, clog up, congest, foul

   become or cause to become obstructed