English Explanatory Dictionary

accumulate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together (either literally or figuratively), often gradually and without active intent.
  2. To gradually grow or increase in quantity or number.
  3. To take a higher degree at the same time with a lower degree, or at a shorter interval than usual.
adj
  1. Collected; accumulated.

Pronunciation

/əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/ /əˈkju.mjəˌleɪt/ en-us-accumulate.ogg

Word forms

accumulate accumulates accumulating accumulated

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-forming suffix)), formed from ad (“to, towards, at”) + cumulō (“to heap”), from cumulus (“a heap”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French accumuler.

Synonyms

accrue accumulate add up amound gather garner get up heap up mount up stack up amass heap hoard store agglomerate build up cumulate mound pile pile up rack up stack upheap aggregate collect

Antonyms

decline decumulate lose

Related words

amass accumulation accumulator cumulus

Derived words

accumulable accumulative bioaccumulate decumulate hyperaccumulate hyperaccumulating misaccumulated nonaccumulating overaccumulate preaccumulated reaccumulate reaccumulated unaccumulate unaccumulated
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