accrete

IPA/əˈkriːt/
IPA/əˈkriːt/

accrete — 動詞

  • accretepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • accretes3rd person singular
  • accreting-ing form
  • accretedpast simple

1. to grow larger over time as new material, layers, or particles are attached to t

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

堆積；附積

經由層層附著而逐漸增長

to grow larger over time as new material, layers, or particles are attached to the outside of a mass — either happening naturally or caused by an external process such as a chemical reaction, gravity, or legal agreement.

例句

Over millions of years, fine sediment accreted along the river delta, slowly building new land.

數百萬年來，細小的沉積物沿著河流三角洲逐漸堆積，慢慢形成新的陸地。

intransitive: [material] accretes [location, time]

In the laboratory, the team accretes a thin layer of metal onto each silicon wafer.

在實驗室裡，團隊將一層薄薄的金屬附積到每一片矽晶圓上。

transitive: [agent] accretes [substance] onto [surface]

同義詞
  • accumulate

    broader term — can happen in a pile or a heap, not necessarily by surface attachment

  • amass

    implies a deliberate agent (a person or group) collecting things, not a natural process

  • build up

    informal phrasal verb; does not specify the mechanism of layer-by-layer attachment

反義詞
  • erode

    opposite process — material is worn away rather than added

  • diminish

    general opposite for decreasing in size or amount

文法句型

[material/intangible] accrete [adverbial]

[agent] accrete [substance] onto [surface]

[material] accrete into [larger body]

用法筆記

Primarily used in formal or academic writing rather than everyday speech. Frequent in earth science, astronomy, biology, and finance. The intransitive use ("sediment accrete") is more common than the transitive ("a process accretes something"). Also often appears in the passive voice ("layers are accreted").

常見錯誤

❌Dirt accumulates on the window over time.' (when meaning growth by attachment).
✅Dirt accretes on the window over time.
💡'accumulate' is more general; 'accrete' specifically implies the material sticks to and builds up on a surface.
❌The company accreted more employees this year.
✅The company hired more employees this year.
💡'accrete' is not a synonym for 'acquire' in everyday business contexts; using it to mean 'hire' or 'buy' sounds unnatural.