accretion
/əˈkriːʃən/
noun
- A gradual increase or addition of something over time, especially by layers or small amounts building up.
- Over millions of years, the accretion of sediment formed new layers of rock.
- The accretion of dust on the old bookshelf made it look ancient.
- The company's growth was due to the steady accretion of small clients.
- Something that has been added or built up gradually; an accumulation.
- The coral reef is an accretion of tiny marine organisms.
- His knowledge was an accretion of facts from years of reading.
- The old city walls had many accretions of graffiti and moss.
- In astronomy, the process by which dust and gas in space come together under gravity to form larger bodies like stars and planets.
- Scientists study accretion to understand how solar systems develop.
- Planets form through the accretion of dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk.
- The accretion of matter onto a black hole releases huge amounts of energy.
Synonyms