English noun: accretion | |||
1. | accretion (process) an increase by natural growth or addition | ||
Synonyms | accumulation | ||
Broader (hypernym) | growth, increase, increment | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | backup, buildup, deposit, deposition | ||
2. | accretion (quantity) something contributing to growth or increase | ||
Samples | He scraped away the accretions of paint. The central city surrounded by recent accretions. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | addition, gain, increase | ||
3. | accretion (process) (astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases | ||
Broader (hypernym) | growth, increase, increment | ||
Domain category | astronomy, uranology | ||
4. | accretion (process) (biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles | ||
Broader (hypernym) | growth, increase, increment | ||
Domain category | biological science, biology | ||
5. | accretion (process) (geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or waterborne sediment | ||
Broader (hypernym) | growth, increase, increment | ||
Domain category | geology | ||
6. | accretion (possession) (law) an increase in a beneficiary's share in an estate (as when a co-beneficiary dies or fails to meet some condition or rejects the inheritance) | ||
Broader (hypernym) | heritage, inheritance | ||
Domain category | jurisprudence, law | ||