Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun, plural al·lu·vi·ums, al·lu·vi·a [uh-loo-vee-uh] /əˈlu vi ə/.
- a deposit of sand, mud, etc., formed by flowing water.
- the sedimentary matter deposited thus within recent times, especially in the valleys of large rivers.
noun plural -viums or -via (-vɪə)
- a fine-grained fertile soil consisting of mud, silt, and sand deposited by flowing water on flood plains, in river beds, and in estuaries
“matter deposited by flowing water,” 1660s, from Medieval Latin alluvium, neuter of alluvius “washed against,” from Latin alluere “wash against,” from ad- “to, against” (see ad-) + -luere, comb. form of lavere “to wash” (see lave).
Plural alluviums alluvia
- Sand, silt, clay, gravel, or other matter deposited by flowing water, as in a riverbed, floodplain, delta, or alluvial fan. Alluvium is generally considered a young deposit in terms of geologic time.