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Glite Dictionary
sedimentary

sedimentary

9 6.3
Layers of sand, mud, or small stones press together and form rock
  • adjective
  • /ˌsɛdɪˈmɛnˌtɛri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sedimentario
  • The Grand Canyon showcases stunning examples of sedimentary rocks formed over millions of years.
  • sedimentary rock
  • sedimentary layers
  • sedimentary basin

So sedimentary rock that is still very sedimentary, right?

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Examples

  • On this foundation are layers of sedimentary rocks laid down by winds or water.

    Academic text (2009)

  • So would that make this an igneous rock or a sedimentary rock?

    Election (1999)

  • The students were then asked to read the section on sedimentary rocks, which they did.

    Academic text (2014)

  • It's a tremendous sack of sedimentary rocks that records most of the history of the planet.

  • The UA group was associated with the Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies at the University of Alabama.

    Blog text (22)

  • On an island off Greenland, we find sedimentary rocks 3.86 billion years old, containing complex cells.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The hills have flattened out to endless swells, with crests of sedimentary rock through which the highway is carved.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • His gaze lingered again on the sedimentary outcrop, its layers clearly delineated.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Oil shale, or bitumen, is sedimentary rock containing dilute amounts of "heavy oil" or near-solid carbonaceous residues.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Scientists study sedimentary layers to understand Earth's geological history and climate changes.

Synonyms

sedimental
vssedimentary
  • Specialized
8.1

Made of small bits of rock or soil that settle in water

refers specifically to layers that hardened into rock over time

Compounds

sedimentary rock
  • Specialized
3 3.5

Rock made from layers of sand, mud, or broken shells

sedimentary clay
  • Specialized
5.6

Small rock and plant pieces settle and press into soft earth after they are moved by water, wind or ice

How Changed

metamorphic
  • Specialized
2 7.7
metasedimentary
  • Specialized
9.9
altered
3.6
sedimentary
  • Specialized
9 6.3

Surface Forms

sedimentary positive

Morphology

sedimentary = sediment (transparent) = sediment + ary

The adjective is a regular derivation from the noun 'sediment' with the productive suffix '-ary', so its meaning 'relating to or formed from sediment' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Sedimentary comes from the Latin root sedere, which means 'to sit' or 'to settle', and is the same root as sediment, the bits of sand or mud that 'sit' at the bottom of water. So sedimentary rocks are made from layers of material that have settled and then turned into rock.