accumulate

B2 Topic:Numbers & Quantity
US /əˈkju.mjəˌleɪt/ UK /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/
verb adj Freq #23910

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To gradually collect or gather more and more of something.

    Over the years he accumulated a huge collection of records.

  2. 2
    verb

    To gradually increase in amount or number over time.

    Dust quickly accumulates on these shelves.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to gradually collect or... amasscollectgatherbuild uppile up
2 verb · to gradually increase in... aggregatecumulate
More accrueamoundgarner
Opposites
declinedecumulatelose
Word family
Forms accumulatedaccumulatesaccumulating
Derived forms accumulableaccumulativebioaccumulatedecumulatehyperaccumulatehyperaccumulatingmisaccumulatednonaccumulatingoveraccumulatepreaccumulatedreaccumulatereaccumulated
Related forms amass

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *ḱuh₁mósder.? Latin cumulus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin cumulō Latin accumulō Latin accumulātusbor. Middle English accumylaten English accumulate First attested c. 1487; from Middle English accumylaten, borrowed from Latin accumulātus, perfect passive participle of accumulō (“to amass, pile up”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-form…

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Topics

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