accretion

• 指通过外部添加或积累而逐渐增长或扩大的过程，尤用于天文学（天体吸积）、生物学、地质学和法学等领域。

A noun referring to the process of gradual growth or increase by the accumulation of external layers or particles, with specific applications in astronomy, biology, geology, and law.

1. Growth by additionC1formal

   A gradual increase in size or amount through natural growth or the accumulation of external layers or parts.

   累积增长

   • The accretion of sediment over centuries formed the delta.
   • The company's growth was due to the steady accretion of new clients.
   • The accretion of ice on the wings caused the plane to lose lift.

   同义词accrualaccumulationadditionaugmentationbuildupgrowthincreaseincrement

   反义词attritiondecreasediminutionerosionreduction

2. Something addedC1formal

   An individual part or layer that contributes to the overall growth or increase of something.

   增加物

   • Each new fact was an accretion to the body of evidence.
   • The building's design was a result of many architectural accretions over time.
   • The book is a collection of essays, each an accretion to the author's main thesis.

   同义词add-onadditionadjunctappendageattachmentdepositincrementlayersupplement

3. Celestial formationC2formalscientific

   The process by which dust and gas in space are pulled together by gravity to form stars, planets, and other celestial bodies.

   吸积

   • Planets form through the accretion of dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk.
   • The accretion of matter onto a black hole releases immense energy.
   • Computer models simulate the accretion process that builds galaxies.

4. Biological growthC2formalscientific

   Growth of an organism or structure by the addition of new parts or layers, such as the formation of a shell or tree ring.

   生物生长

   • The accretion of new cells allows the coral reef to expand.
   • Tree rings are a visible record of annual accretion.
   • The mollusk's shell grows by accretion at its outer edge.

   同义词accumulationappositionbuildupdepositiongrowth

5. Geological depositC2formalscientific

   The gradual increase in land area due to the deposition of sediment by water, wind, or ice.

   地质沉积

   • The river delta was formed by the accretion of silt over millennia.
   • Coastal accretion can create new beaches and sandbars.
   • The farmer's land expanded due to the natural accretion of alluvial soil.

   同义词accumulationdepositionsedimentation

   反义词abrasionattritioncorrasiondenudationerosionwastage

6. Legal inheritanceC2formallegal

   The increase in a beneficiary's share of an estate when another beneficiary dies, fails to meet a condition, or rejects their inheritance.

   遗产添附

   • The surviving heir received the property by right of accretion.
   • The will included a clause for accretion in case of a beneficiary's death.
   • The lawyer explained the legal principle of accretion to the heirs.

   同义词accrual