Sludge

Definitions

1. An acronym used to help remember the common symptoms of certain affections of a cholinergic toxidrome: salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastrointestinal upset, emesis.
   mnemonic
2. Solids separated from suspension in a liquid.
   countable, uncountable
3. A residual semi-solid material left from industrial, water treatment, or wastewater treatment processes.
   countable, uncountable
4. A sediment of accumulated minerals in a steam boiler.
   countable, uncountable
5. A mass of small pieces of ice on the surface of a water body.
   countable, uncountable
6. Ellipsis of sludge metal.
   abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
7. Institutional policies that introduce tedium and inefficiency in processes.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have⟳ wrought disaster on an enormous scale.[…]Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.”

“In the 2008 best seller Nudge, the legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein and the economist Richard H. Thaler marshaled behavioral-science research⟳ to show⟳ how small tweaks could help⟳ us make⟳ better choices. An updated version of the book includes a section on what they called “sludge”—tortuous administrative demands, endless wait⟳ times, and excessive procedural fuss that impede us in our lives.”

CEFR level