2
: a muddy or slushy mass, deposit, or sediment: such as
a
: precipitated solid matter produced by water and sewage treatment processes
b
: muddy sediment in a steam boiler
c
: a precipitate or settling (such as a mixture of impurities and acid) from a mineral oil
3
Examples of sludge in a Sentence
after a day of heavy rain, the fairgrounds had turned into pure sludge
I can't bring myself to read that sludge.
Recent Examples on the Web
There were torrential rains in Italy's north on Monday and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks.
—
Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025
In one video shared in April, taken deep inside a large karst cave, manure could be seen pouring through holes in the ceiling, forming sludge pools while staining the white stalactites black.
—Karla Cripps, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
The Midwest plant received satisfactory results in most areas, including receiving waters; effluent/discharge; permit; stormwater; facility/site; operation; maintenance; sludge; flow measurement; laboratory; records/reports; and enforcement.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Using more sludge and less slag in their recipe, researchers were able to create a material that's stronger than even today's enhanced cements and highly resistant to corrosion by acid.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sludge
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025
In one video shared in April, taken deep inside a large karst cave, manure could be seen pouring through holes in the ceiling, forming sludge pools while staining the white stalactites black.
—Karla Cripps, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
The Midwest plant received satisfactory results in most areas, including receiving waters; effluent/discharge; permit; stormwater; facility/site; operation; maintenance; sludge; flow measurement; laboratory; records/reports; and enforcement.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Using more sludge and less slag in their recipe, researchers were able to create a material that's stronger than even today's enhanced cements and highly resistant to corrosion by acid.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sludge
Cite this Entry
“Sludge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sludge. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
sludge
1 of 2 noun
: a semisolid precipitated mass or deposit
biliary sludge
especially
: sludged blood
sludge
2 of 2 intransitive verb
sludged; sludging
: to form sludge
positions that cause blood to sludge—L. K. Altman
L. K. AltmanLove words? Need even more definitions?
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