accretion
accretion — noun
- accretionsingular
- accretionsplural
1. steady growth that happens when small parts are added over time, forming somethi
steady growth that happens when small parts are added over time, forming something larger bit by bit.
The town's accretion of small shops changed the old bus station.
accretion of + plural noun for gradual buildup
Years of accretion around the school added room after room.
The museum's accretion of donations filled every wall in the hallway.
Slow accretion of snow pushed the garden fence toward the road.
- buildup
more common and less formal, often used for physical or abstract growth
- accumulation
broader and often used for collected items rather than layered growth
- growth
general term that does not always imply gradual addition
文法句型
accretion of + noun
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' when describing slow growth in buildings, collections, power, or physical material. Distinguish from sense 2, which names one added layer or lump rather than the whole buildup.
2. a layer, lump, or coating that forms on something as more material slowly sticks
a layer, lump, or coating that forms on something as more material slowly sticks to it.
The dentist scraped a hard accretion from the side of Mira's tooth.
countable object removed from a surface
Workers found a black accretion under the old kitchen sink.
A chalky accretion covered the pipe where the water kept dripping.
The diver brushed each accretion off the boat's rusted chain.
- clean surface
plain description of a surface with no added layer
- removal
focuses on taking away the buildup
文法句型
an accretion on + noun
scrape off an accretion
用法筆記
Usually refers to a visible layer or lump on a surface. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes the process of gradual buildup as a whole.
3. extra land formed when water or other natural forces leave soil behind little by
extra land formed when water or other natural forces leave soil behind little by little.
After the floods, the farmer claimed the accretion beside his riverbank.
legal use for newly formed land
New maps showed an accretion forming along the island's eastern edge.
accretion along a coast or river
The judge ruled that the sandy accretion belonged to the farm by the coast.
A wide accretion appeared where the river had moved away.
文法句型
an accretion along + noun
claim an accretion
用法筆記
Common in legal, surveying, and environmental writing about rivers and coasts. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about a layer on an object rather than newly formed land.