alluvial

A1L1L1U1V4I1A1L1
UK, US/əˈluː.vi.əl/

adjective

Pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream.

OriginLatin alluvius →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectivealluvial (not comparable)
  1. not comparablePertaining to the soil deposited by a stream.

    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.

    1992, Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Robert W. Hook, “Paleoenvironmental Contexts and Taphonomic Modes”, in Terrestrial Ecosystems through Time, page 35
    1 more example

    I am a working engineer from the Mount Magdalena district of Coolgardie. I don't want to take up your time with outside details so I will only say that about two years ago I had an opportunity of acquiring a share in a very promising claim—gold, you understand, both reef and alluvial.

    1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados
nounalluvial (countable and uncountable, plural alluvials)

plural alluvials

  1. countableA deposition of sediment over a long period of time by a river; an alluvial layer.
  2. countableuncountableAlluvial soil; specifically, in Australia, gold-bearing alluvial soil.

Origin

  1. Latinalluvius“alluvial”
  2. Englishalluvial

From Latin alluvius (“alluvial”), from alluviō (“an overflowing, inundation”), from alluō (“wash against”). By surface analysis, alluvium + -ial.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian нано́сен
  • нано́сен (nanósen)pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Catalan al·luvial
  • al·luvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Chinese Mandarin 冲积
  • 冲积 (chōngjī)pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Czech náplavový, aluviální
  • náplavovýpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • aluviálnípertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Dutch alluviaal
  • alluviaalpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Finnish liete-, alluviaalinen
  • liete-pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • alluviaalinenpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
French alluvial
  • alluvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
German alluvial, angeschwemmt
  • alluvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • angeschwemmtpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • abgelagertpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Irish glárach
  • glárachpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Italian alluvionale
  • alluvionalepertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Latin alluvius
  • alluviuspertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Polish aluwialny
  • aluwialnypertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Portuguese aluvial
  • aluvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Russian наносно́й, аллювиа́льный
  • наносно́й (nanosnój)pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • аллювиа́льный (alljuviálʹnyj)pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Scottish Gaelic alùbhiach
  • alùbhiachpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Spanish aluvial, aluvional
  • aluvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
  • aluvionalpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Swedish alluvial
  • alluvialpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Welsh llifwaddodol
  • llifwaddodolpertaining to the soil deposited by a stream
Cite this entry
APA

alluvial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alluvial

MLA

“alluvial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alluvial. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alluvial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alluvial.

Source: alluvial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.