accretions
Slowly gathered layers
Accretions are things that have accumulated gradually over time, building up layer by layer.
The word often describes physical deposits—mineral accretions on pipes, calcium accretions on bones—but extends to abstract accumulations: The law had gathered accretions of interpretation over centuries.
An accretion is both the process of gradual growth and what results from it.
Particles settling in liquid
- siltWaterborne earth particles
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- plaqueInscribed memorial tablet
- tartarHardened dental plaque
calculus · scale · residue · encrustation · coating · film · grime · soot
Collected mass over time
- buildupGradual accumulation over time
- aggregationCombined collection of items
- amassingCollecting in quantity
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
layering · snowballing · cumulative · stratification · agglomeration · coalescence
Particles settling in liquid
- strataParallel geological layers
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- rock formationNatural stone arrangement
- fossilizationOrganic remains becoming mineral
erosion · moraine · till · loess · delta · fluvial · glacial · alluvial
Small accreting celestial objects
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- star formationDense cloud becomes sun
- solar systemStar and orbiting bodies
- asteroidsSmall solar orbiters
comets · nebula · gravity · collisions · moonlets · rings · satellites · circumstellar
Returns on reinvested earnings
- capitalizationUsing big letters properly
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- reinvestmentReturning gains to capital
- dividendsProfits paid to shareholders
earnings · appreciation · portfolio growth · capital gains · wealth building · compounding · returns
sediment
Particles settling in liquid
tartar · calculus · scale · residue · encrustation · coating · film · grime · soot · crud
accumulation
Collected mass over time
- buildupGradual accumulation over time
- aggregationCombined collection of items
- amassingCollecting in quantity
gathering · layering · snowballing · cumulative · stratification · agglomeration · coalescence
sedimentation
Particles settling in liquid
- strataParallel geological layers
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- rock formationNatural stone arrangement
fossilization · erosion · moraine · till · loess · delta · fluvial · glacial · alluvial · layering
planetesimals
Small accreting celestial objects
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- star formationDense cloud becomes sun
- solar systemStar and orbiting bodies
asteroids · comets · nebula · gravity · collisions · moonlets · rings · satellites · circumstellar · planetary cores
compound interest
Returns on reinvested earnings
- capitalizationUsing big letters properly
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- reinvestmentReturning gains to capital
dividends · earnings · appreciation · portfolio growth · capital gains · wealth building · compounding · returns
accretionserosions
Gradual wearing processes
depletions · diminutions · reductions · ablations · losses
accretionsdispersals
Acts of spreading outward
scatterings · fragmentations · disintegrations · dissolutions · diffusions