accrete

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English

WOTD – 16 October 2007

Etymology

Back-formation from accretion.

Pronunciation

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  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːt

Verb

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  1. (intransitive) To grow together, combine; to fuse.
    Astronomers believe the Earth began to accrete more than 4.6 billion years ago.
    • 2014 September 7, Natalie Angier, “The Moon comes around again [print version: Revisiting a moon that still has secrets to reveal: Supermoon revives interest in its violent origins and hidden face, International New York Times, 10 September 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times‎[1]:
      According to the reigning hypothesis, about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after Earth had accreted down into a sphere from its little slub of circumsolar material, another newborn planet [Theia], still shaky on its feet, slammed obliquely into Earth with terrifying force.
  2. (intransitive) To adhere; to grow or to be added to gradually.
  3. (transitive) To make adhere; to add; to make larger or more, as by growing.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Earle to this entry?)

Usage notes

  • (to fuse): Used with the word to.

Translations

Adjective

accrete (not comparable)

  1. Characterized by accretion; made up
    accrete matter
  2. (botany) Grown together
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Gray to this entry?)

Translations

Further reading

Latin

Participle

(deprecated template usage) accrēte

  1. vocative masculine singular of accrētus
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