Definition of Accretion

(n.)
The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark.
  

(n.)
The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth.
  

(n.)
The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.
  

(n.)
Gain to an heir or legatee, failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share.
  

(n.)
Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.
  

(n.)
A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers toes.
  

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accretion
\ac*cre"tion\ (&?;), n. [l. accretio, fr. accrescere to increase. cf. crescent, increase, accrue.]
1. the act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.
2. the act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth. a mineral augments not by grown, but by accretion. to strip off all the subordinate parts of his as a later accretion. g. c. lewis.
3. concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.
4. a growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers toes.
5. (law) (a) the adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark. (b) gain to an heir or legatee, failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share. kent.

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Noun
1. an increase by natural growth or addition
(synonym) accumulation
(hypernym) increase, increment, growth
(hyponym) backup
(derivation) accrete
2. something contributing to growth or increase; "he scraped away the accretions of paint"; "the central city surrounded by recent accretions"
(hypernym) addition, increase, gain
3. (astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases
(hypernym) increase, increment, growth
(classification) astronomy, uranology
4. (biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles
(hypernym) increase, increment, growth
(derivation) accrete
(classification) biology, biological science
5. (geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or water-borne sediment
(hypernym) increase, increment, growth
(classification) geology
6. (law) an increase in a beneficiary's share in an estate (as when a co-beneficiary dies or fails to meet some condition or rejects the inheritance)
(hypernym) inheritance, heritage
(classification) law, jurisprudence

In portfolio accounting, a straight-line accumulation of capital gains  on a discount bond in anticipation of receipt of par at maturity.

The buildup of land from natural forces such as wind or water.

asset growth, by internal expansion or acquisition.

Accumulation of dust and gas into larger bodies.

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The imperceptible and gradual addition to land by the slow action of water. - (read more on Accretion)
  

The slow addition to land by deposition of water-borne sediment. An increase in land along the shores of a body of water, as by Alluvial deposit. Accretion and alluvion are often used synonymously.

fito'ovaya

The gradual accumulation of mass; usually refers to the building up of larger masses from stellar ones through the mutual gravitational attraction of matter.

noun
growth of a substance which sticks to an object; an accretion of calcium round the joint