sludge
UK: slʌdʒ | US: slʌdʒ
n. a thick, soft, wet mud or sediment
n. a viscous or semi-solid waste material (e.g., industrial residue)
n. (figuratively) something regarded as worthless or oppressive
sludge = slud<likely related to "slush" or "slide"> + ge<suffix, possibly imitative>
- slud<possibly from Middle English slod (mud) or related to "slush" (partially melted snow)>
- ge<suffix, possibly imitative of wet, sticky substances>
Etymology Origin:
The word "sludge" likely emerged in the early 17th century, blending the concept of wet, sticky mud ("slud") with an imitative suffix ("-ge") to evoke the sound or texture of such material. Its roots may trace back to Germanic or Scandinavian words for mud or slime, reflecting a visceral connection to natural accumulations of semi-liquid filth. Over time, it expanded to describe industrial waste and metaphorical "heaviness."
The riverbank was covered in thick, black sludge after the flood.
Factory workers disposed of toxic sludge in designated containment areas.
His mind felt clogged with the sludge of unresolved thoughts.
The car tires spun helplessly in the roadside sludge.
Environmentalists protested the dumping of chemical sludge into the ocean.