1. to separate (fine particles) from coarser material by washing or decanting
Usage: technical; chiefly used in chemistry, geology, and materials science

Examples

• The geologist used water to elutriate the sediment and isolate the finest clay particles.
• In the laboratory, we elutriated the mixture to remove dust and lighter impurities.
• The process elutriated the ore, leaving behind the heavier mineral deposits.
• Researchers elutriate soil samples to study particle size distribution.
• The centrifuge helped elutriate the suspension into distinct layers.