Cryptic crossword clue
Wading bird abandoning time in river deposit 4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word SILT

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
S
I
L
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "river deposit" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case river deposit = silt.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does SILT mean?

SILT noun
  1. Mud or fine earth deposited from running or standing water.
  2. (by extension) Material with similar physical characteristics, whatever its origins or transport.
  3. A particle from 3.9 to 62.5 microns in diameter, following the Wentworth scale.
SILT verb
  1. To clog or fill with silt.
  2. To become clogged with silt.
  3. To flow through crevices; to percolate.

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