alluvial
adj. C1 Advanced US //ˌæˈɫuviəɫ// UK //ɐlˈuːvɪəl// al·lu·vial
adj. relating to soil or land that has been built up by water carrying and dropping sand and dirt.
adj. relating to or consisting of alluvium, which is soil or sediment deposited by flowing water. Often used to describe landforms or mineral deposits found in river valleys.
The farmers grow rice in the alluvial soil of the river valley.
Geologists discovered rich deposits of gold in the alluvial plains along the river's edge.
The fertile alluvial plains of the region have supported intensive agriculture for centuries, as the annual flooding of the river replenishes the soil with nutrient-rich silt.
From Latin alluvius (“alluvial”), from alluviō (“an overflowing, inundation”), from alluō (“wash against”). By surface analysis, alluvium + -ial.