mud

thumb|upright=1.35|A pair of muddy Wellington boot|Wellington boots thumb|Gamo mud volcano in Tokamachi, Japan Mud (, or Middle Dutch) is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. Mud is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally called lutites). When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries, the resultant layers are termed bay muds. Mud has also been used for centuries as a construction resource for mostly houses and also used as a binder. An Old English word for it was fen, now in most dialects referring to a type of wetland. == Building and construction == thumb|earthen plaster|Mud plastered home in [[Pakistan]] thumb|The Arg e Bam|Arg-e Bam citadel in Iran, the largest adobe building in the world

=== Adhesive === In the construction industry, mud is a semi-fluid material that can be used to coat, seal, or adhere materials. The term "mud" can be used for various semi-fluid materials used in construction including slurry, mortar, plaster, stucco, and concrete.