accretion

CEFRC2

/əˈkɹiːʃn̩/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A gradual increase caused by adding small amounts over time.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    (Gradual) increase by an external addition of matter; (countable) an instance of this.

Examples

  • A mineral ... augments not by growth, but by accretion.

  • An accretion disk has formed around the star.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
3

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Increase by natural growth, especially the gradual increase of organic bodies by the internal addition of matter; organic growth; also, the amount of such growth.

  2. The process by which material is added to a geological feature; specifically, to a tectonic plate at a subduction zone.

  3. The process of separate particles aggregating or coalescing together; concretion; (countable) a thing formed in this manner.

More examples

In context

  • The accretion of particles forms a solid mass.

  • Near-synonym: accumulation

  • Accretions of dirt on clothing are often left in place by conservators because they can provide additional details about the artefact’s importance or history.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

The gradual blank of sediment over millions of years formed the rock layers.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

PIE word *h₂éd Learned borrowing from Latin accrētiō (“increase, increment”) + English -ion (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results). Accrētiō is derived from accrēscō (“to grow, increase”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results); and accrēscō is from ac- (a variant of ad-, prefix meaning ‘to’, or having an intensifying effect) + crēscō (“to grow; to increase”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“to cause to grow; to grow; to nourish”)). Doublet of accrue, crescent, and increase.