sediment
sediment — 名詞
1. Tiny pieces of solid matter that sink through a liquid and stay together near th
沉澱物
液體底部沉積的細小固體物質
Tiny pieces of solid matter that sink through a liquid and stay together near the lowest point, creating a soft, wet substance.
After the river flooded, a layer of brown sediment covered the floor of the garage.
河水氾濫後，車庫地板上覆蓋了一層褐色的沉澱物。
collocation: a layer of sediment
The winemaker poured slowly to avoid disturbing the sediment in the bottle.
釀酒師慢慢地倒酒，以免驚動瓶底的沉澱物。
everyday context: wine sediment
In a French press, fine coffee sediment always settles at the bottom after brewing.
用法式濾壓壺沖泡咖啡後，杯底總會留下細碎的咖啡沉澱物。
The scientist collected sediment from the lake bed to test for chemical pollution.
科學家從湖底收集沉澱物，以檢測化學污染。
Cloudy water from the tap contained visible sediment that made Lisa hesitate to drink it.
水龍頭流出的混濁水中含有可見的沉澱物，讓 Lisa 猶豫是否要喝它。
文法句型
sediment + verb (settles, accumulates)
a layer of sediment
sediment in + noun
用法筆記
In everyday language this sense is uncountable (e.g., 'sediment in the wine'). In scientific or technical writing it can be countable when referring to different types ('marine sediments').
常見錯誤
2. Sand, stones, or mud that is moved by ice, wind, or flowing water and finally se
沉積物
風、水、冰搬運堆積的岩石或沙土層
Sand, stones, or mud that is moved by ice, wind, or flowing water and finally settles in a new place, slowly building up in layers.
Over thousands of years, layers of sediment built up and slowly turned into solid rock.
數千年間，沉積物不斷堆積，逐漸變成了堅硬的岩石。
collocation: layers of sediment
Geologists study the sediment carried by rivers to understand how ancient mountains were formed.
地質學家研究河流攜帶的沉積物，以了解古代山脈是如何形成的。
Strong winds blew sand across the desert, adding fresh sediment to the valley floor.
強風將沙吹過沙漠，在谷底鋪上了一層新的沉積物。
Deep under the ocean, sediment accumulates very slowly — just a few millimetres every hundred years.
在深海裡，沉積物累積得非常緩慢——每百年僅增加幾毫米。
The construction crew dug through several metres of sediment before reaching solid bedrock.
施工團隊挖穿了數公尺厚的沉積物，才抵達堅硬的岩床。
文法句型
layers of sediment
sediment + noun (sediment layers)
用法筆記
This sense is most common in geology and earth science. Unlike sense 1, it is frequently used in the plural ('coastal sediments', 'glacial sediments') when referring to different types or sources of deposited material.
常見錯誤
sediment — 動詞
1. To cause solid particles in a liquid to fall and collect at the bottom, forming
使沉澱；沉積
讓固體物質沉積在底部
To cause solid particles in a liquid to fall and collect at the bottom, forming a layer.
The floodwaters sedimented a thick layer of mud across the farmland.
洪水在農田上沉積了一層厚厚的淤泥。
formal register: transitive verb
Over millions of years, the river sedimented sand and gravel along its new course.
數百萬年來，這條河流沿著新河道沉積了沙子和礫石。
The treatment plant sediments suspended solids into large collection tanks before releasing the water.
處理廠將水中的懸浮固體沉積到大型收集槽中，然後才排放。
Heavy rainfall sedimented fine soil particles in the reservoir behind the dam.
暴雨將細小的土壤顆粒沉積在水庫底部。
文法句型
sediment + noun (object)
be sedimented + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Frequently passive in scientific writing ('the particles were sedimented'). In everyday English, 'deposit' or 'settle' are more common alternatives.
常見錯誤
2. (Of solid particles in a liquid) to slowly sink to the bottom and gather there.
沉澱；沉降
固體顆粒自行沉入液體底部
(Of solid particles in a liquid) to slowly sink to the bottom and gather there.
After the storm, fine mud particles sedimented at the bottom of the pond.
暴風雨過後，細小的泥巴顆粒沉澱在池塘底部。
If you leave the jar standing overnight, the sand will sediment to the bottom.
如果你把罐子靜置一整晚，沙子就會沉澱到瓶底。
intransitive pattern: [material] sediments to the bottom
The smallest clay particles sediment last because they are extremely light.
最細小的黏土顆粒因為重量極輕，最後才會沉澱。
In a river delta, silt sediments wherever the water current slows down enough.
在河流三角洲，流速減緩的地方就會發生淤泥沉澱。
- settle
Everyday alternative; 'the mud settled at the bottom' is natural, while 'the mud sedimented' is very formal or scientific
- settle out
Phrasal verb; common in both science and general use ('the particles settled out')
文法句型
subject (particles, mud, sand) + sediment
sediment + adverb of place/time
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a natural material (mud, silt, sand, particles). In everyday English, 'settle' is much more common than 'sediment' for this meaning.