increase

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English increase, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Old French, from Latin increscere (increase), present active infinitive of increscō, from in (in, on) + crescō (grow).

The verb is from Middle English incresen, encresen.

Pronunciation

  • (verb): enPR: ĭnkrēsʹ, IPA(key): /ɪnˈkɹiːs/
  • (file)
  • (noun): enPR: ĭnʹkrēs, IPA(key): /ˈɪnkɹiːs/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːs
  • Hyphenation: in‧crease

Verb

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  1. (intransitive) (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.
    His rage only increased when I told him of the lost money.
    • Bible, Genesis vii. 17
      The waters increased and bare up the ark.
    • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      The heavens forbid / But that our loves and comforts should increase, / Even as our days do grow!
    • 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America[1], archived from the original on 7 February 2019:
      The report said that deep learning methods increased from just 118 patent requests in 2013 to nearly 2,400 in 2016.
      (file)
  2. (transitive) To make (a quantity, etc.) larger.
    • 2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist:
      The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.
  3. To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
    • (Can we date this quote by Sir M. Hale and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Fishes are more numerous of increasing than beasts or birds, as appears by their numerous spawn.
  4. (astronomy, intransitive) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.
    The Moon increases.

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Noun

increase (countable and uncountable, plural increases)

  1. An amount by which a quantity is increased.
  2. For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
  3. Offspring, progeny
    • 1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, [], London: [] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] [], →OCLC, page 2:
      That infortunate imperfit Embrion of my idle houres the Ile of Dogs before mentioned, breeding vnto me ſuch bitter throwes in the teaming as it did, and the tempeſtes that aroſe at his birth, ſo aſtoniſhing outragious and violent as if my braine had bene conceiued of another Hercules, I was ſo terrifyed with my owne encreaſe (like a woman long trauailing to bee deliuered of a monſter) that it was no ſooner borne but I was glad to run from it.
  4. (knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).

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Anagrams