Sapropel
//ˈsapɹə(ʊ)pɛl// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An aquatic sludge-like sediment rich in organic matter formed in oxygen-free areas at the bottom of lakes, seas etc. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 2 sludge (rich in organic matter) that accumulates at the bottom of lakes or oceans wordnet
Example
More examples"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."
Etymology
From German Sapropel, corresponding to sapro- + Ancient Greek πηλός (pēlós, “mud, clay”).
Related phrases
More for "sapropel"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.