sed·i·men·ta·tion \ˌsedəmən.ˈtāshən\noun (-s) Etymology:sediment (I) + -ation : the action or process of depositing sediment : settling; also: the depositing especially by mechanical means of matter suspended in a liquid < the sedimentation of a water supply > broadly: the movement in any direction of solid particles through a fluid as a result of gravitational or other force — compare creaming