Meanings
nounsapropel (countable and uncountable, plural sapropels)
plural sapropels
- countableuncountablegeographyAn aquatic sludge-like sediment rich in organic matter formed in oxygen-free areas at the bottom of lakes, seas etc.
Another instance in which Mediterranean sapropels have provided clues about events deep within the African continent is the ‘greening’ of the Sahara about 120,000 years ago.
2011, Chris Stringer, The Origin of Our Species, Penguin, published 2012, page 47
Origin
- Ancient Greekπηλός“mud, clay”
- GermanSapropel
- Englishsapropel
From German Sapropel, corresponding to sapro- + Ancient Greek πηλός (pēlós, “mud, clay”).
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
sapropel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapropel
MLA
“sapropel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapropel. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sapropel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapropel.
Source: sapropel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.