Alluvial

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /əˈluː.vi.É™l/

Origin

From Latin alluvius ("alluvial"), from alluviō ("an overflowing, inundation"), from alluō ("wash against").

Full definition of alluvial

Adjective

1. Pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream.
• 1992, Anna K. Behrensmeyer & Robert W. Hook, "Paleoenvironmental Contexts and Taphonomic Modes" in, Terrestrial Ecosystems through Time, page 35.Soils are a prominent feature of floodplain environments, and we include them in this section because most of the available information on ancient soils pertains to alluvial examples, aside from those in Quaternary-Recent time.

Synonyms

• fluvial

Derived terms

• alluvial fan
• alluvially
• alluvial plain

Noun

1. A deposition of sediment over a long period of time by a river; an alluvial layer.

Usage notes

The noun is normally used in the plural by engineers who recover valuable minerals from these layers.

Related terms

• alluvium