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Webster 1913 Edition


accrete

ac-crete′

(ăk-krēt′)
,
Verb.
I.
[From L.
accretus
, p. p. of
accrescere
to increase.]
1.
To grow together.
2.
To adhere; to grow (to); to be added; – with to.

ac-crete′

,
Verb.
T.
To make adhere; to add.
Earle.

ac-crete′

,
Adj.
1.
Characterized by accretion; made up;
as,
accrete
matter
.
2.
(Bot.)
Grown together.
Gray.

Definition 2024


accrete

accrete

English

Verb

accrete (third-person singular simple present accretes, present participle accreting, simple past and past participle accreted)

  1. (intransitive) To grow together, combine; to fuse.
    Astronomers believe the Earth began to accrete more than 4.6 billion 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:
      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; as, accrete matter.
  2. (botany) Grown together
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Gray to this entry?)

Translations

Related terms


Latin

Participle

accrēte

  1. vocative masculine singular of accrētus