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accrete

American  
[uh-kreet] / əˈkrit /

verb (used without object)

accreted, accreting
  1. to grow together; adhere (usually followed byto ).


verb (used with object)

accreted, accreting
  1. to add, as by growth.

adjective

  1. Botany. grown together.

accrete British  
/ əˈkriːt /

verb

  1. to grow or cause to grow together; be or become fused

  2. to make or become bigger, as by addition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of accrete

First recorded in 1775–85; back formation from accretion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Both rotation velocity and luminosity are effective parameters to estimate the amount of gas accreted.

From Science Daily

"They are so dense that when they accrete material on their surface they can undergo runaway nuclear reactions, which we detect as novae."

From Science Daily

"We are seeing what material is accreting to build the planet and moons," added main lead author Gabriele Cugno of the University of Zürich and member of the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS.

From Science Daily

Once it’s there, minerals begin to accrete around this core.

From Salon

Through the telescope, researchers were able to see signals from large amounts of gas that accumulate and accrete onto a mini-galaxy in the process of being built.

From Science Daily