Skip to main content
alluvion

alluvion

9.9
Loose soil and sand that water carries and leaves on banks or fields
  • noun
  • /əˈluːviən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : aluvión
  • During the flood, thick alluvion was deposited onto the fields along the riverbank.

Examples

  • Much of the delta owes its fertility to layers of ancient alluvion.

  • Farmers rely on alluvion to improve soil fertility.

  • Construction was delayed because the site was covered in loose alluvion from previous floods.

  • The riverbank was enriched with alluvion after the heavy rains.

  • The floodplain was enriched with rich alluvion after the river overflowed its banks.

  • Farmers often appreciate the nutrient-rich alluvion that is deposited on their fields each spring.

  • The construction crew found layers of alluvion that had built up over years along the riverbed.

Synonyms

silt
vsalluvion
18 3.7

Fine soil left by moving water in a river or harbor

is broader and focuses on deposits in riverbeds or on floodplains
alluvium
vsalluvion
  • Specialized
8.9

Loose sand, clay, and small stones left by river water

is limited to deposits in riverbeds or floodplains and omits deltas
alluvial deposit
vsalluvion
  • Specialized
5.6

Loose soil like sand or clay that a river leaves when it slows

is the same material but does not stress the water slowing process
alluvial sediment
vsalluvion
  • Specialized
6.0

Soil, sand or small stones that a river drops when it slows down

includes sand among the listed deposited materials in floodplain or riverbed
alluvial soil
vsalluvion
  • Specialized
4.2

Fine earth left by rivers that is soft and very good for growing crops

is the general deposited material and does not stress fertility or farming

How Coarse

gravel
99 1.4
sand
485 1.0
alluvion
  • Specialized
9.9
silt
18 3.7
clay
171 1.0

Surface Forms

alluvion singular
alluvions plural

Etymology

Alluvion comes from a Latin word that meant 'to wash toward', from the parts ad- 'to' and luere 'to wash'. Think of water washing silt and soil onto a riverbank, and that is why alluvion can mean the soil or sediment left by water.