Aggrade

/əˈɡreɪd/ verb

Definition

To raise the level or grade of land by depositing sediment and alluvial material on it.

Etymology

Back-formation from 'aggradation' using the base form '-grade' (from Latin 'gradus'). Created as a verb in geology to express the active process of land building.

Kelly Says

When heavy floods dump tons of sediment across a floodplain, that's 'aggrading' in action—over centuries, a riverbed can rise 20 feet or more through this gradual accumulation.

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