accumulation

/əˌkjuːmjəˈleɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /əˌkjuːmjəˈleɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˌkyü-m(y)ə-ˈlā-shən/ (ame, mw)

accumulation — 名詞

1. the slow, steady act by which an amount keeps growing because new bits are added

1.名詞C1
釋義

累積；積累

東西隨時間慢慢增加的過程

the slow, steady act by which an amount keeps growing because new bits are added day after day.

例句

Daily reading led to Esme's quiet accumulation of vocabulary over many years.

瑪雅每天閱讀，多年來默默累積了大量字彙。

accumulation of + abstract noun (vocabulary)

Heavy snowfall caused a rapid accumulation of ice on the roof of the cabin.

大雪讓小屋屋頂上的冰快速累積。

accumulation of + concrete noun (ice)

同義詞
  • buildup

    more informal; often suggests an unwelcome result

  • growth

    broader; covers any kind of increase, not only by addition

  • amassing

    stresses deliberate gathering, often of money or power

反義詞
  • depletion

    the slow loss of a resource, the opposite process

  • dispersal

    spreading something out instead of piling it up

文法句型

accumulation of [noun]

用法筆記

Subject is usually an abstract or material noun (wealth, debt, dust, snow, evidence) — the focus is on the slow process, not a single addition. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the resulting pile or amount itself.

常見錯誤

❌I made an accumulation of new books last weekend.
✅I bought several new books last weekend.
💡'accumulation' implies a slow process over time, not one shopping trip.

2. the actual mass, pile, or quantity that has built up after this slow gathering —

2.名詞C2
釋義

堆積物；積量

長期累積後形成的一堆或一定數量

the actual mass, pile, or quantity that has built up after this slow gathering — what you can point at and measure.

例句

On Beatriz's desk sat a thick accumulation of bills, magazines, and old birthday cards.

莉娜的書桌上堆積著厚厚一疊帳單、雜誌和舊生日卡。

countable: 'a thick accumulation of' + plural noun

Doctors found a small accumulation of fluid behind the patient's left knee.

醫生在病人左膝後方發現少量積液。

medical context: countable accumulation

同義詞
  • pile

    everyday word; less formal than accumulation

  • mass

    stresses bulk; common in scientific writing

  • stockpile

    deliberately stored for future use, not just left to gather

反義詞
  • shortage

    a lack rather than a built-up amount

文法句型

an accumulation of [noun]

用法筆記

Used with 'a' or 'an' and a measure word (small, thick, vast). Whereas sense 1 names the activity, sense 2 names the visible result and can be counted. Common in scientific, medical, and journalistic writing.

常見錯誤

❌There was much accumulation in the corner.
✅There was a thick accumulation of dust in the corner.
💡sense 2 needs an article and usually 'of + noun'.