Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Accretion has 7 different meanings across 1 category:
an increase by natural growth or addition
something contributing to growth or increase
"he scraped away the accretions of paint"
"the central city surrounded by recent accretions"
(astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases
(biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles
(geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or waterborne sediment
(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)
The act of increasing by natural growth; especially the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.
The word accretion comes from the Latin accrētiō, which means "increase" or "increment." It entered English with the addition of a suffix used to form nouns describing actions or their results.