Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 N‑UNCOUNT Accretion is the process of new layers or parts being added to something so that it increases in size. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] A coral reef is built by the accretion of tiny, identical organisms.

ac|cru|al /əkruː əl/ (accruals ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft N n] In finance, the accrual of something such as interest or investments is the adding together of interest or different investments over a period of time. [BUSINESS ]

ac|crue /əkruː / (accrues , accruing , accrued )

1 VERB If money or interest accrues or if you accrue it, it gradually increases in amount over a period of time. [BUSINESS ] □ [V -ed] I owed £5,000–part of this was accrued interest. □ [V ] If you do not pay within 28 days, interest will accrue. □ [V n] Officials say the options will offer investors a longer time in which to accrue profits.

2 VERB If things such as profits or benefits accrue to someone, they are added to over a period of time. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] …the expectation that profits will accrue. □ [V + to ] …a project from which considerable benefit will accrue to the community. [Also V n, V to n]

ac|cu|mu|late /əkjuː mjʊle I t/ (accumulates , accumulating , accumulated ) VERB When you accumulate things or when they accumulate , they collect or are gathered over a period of time. □ [V n] Households accumulate wealth across a broad spectrum of assets. □ [V ] Lead can accumulate in the body until toxic levels are reached.

ac|cu|mu|la|tion /əkjuː mjʊle I ʃ ^ə n/ (accumulations )

1 N‑COUNT An accumulation of something is a large number of things which have been collected together or acquired over a period of time. □ [+ of ] …an accumulation of experience and knowledge.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Accumulation is the collecting together of things over a period of time. □ [+ of ] …the accumulation of capital and the distribution of income.

ac|cu|mu|la|tive /əkjuː mjʊlət I v, [AM ] -le I t I v/ ADJ If something is accumulative, it becomes greater in amount, number, or intensity over a period of time. □  The consensus is that risk factors have an accumulative effect.

ac|cu|ra|cy /æ kjʊrəsi/

1 N‑UNCOUNT The accuracy of information or measurements is their quality of being true or correct, even in small details. □ [+ of ] We cannot guarantee the accuracy of these figures.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft with N ] If someone or something performs a task, for example hitting a target, with accuracy , they do it in an exact way without making a mistake. □  …weapons that could fire with accuracy at targets 3,000 yards away.

ac|cu|rate ◆◇◇ /æ kjʊrət/

1 ADJ Accurate information, measurements, and statistics are correct to a very detailed level. An accurate instrument is able to give you information of this kind. □  Police have stressed that this is the most accurate description of the killer to date. □  Quartz timepieces are very accurate, to a minute or two per year. ●  ac|cu|rate|ly ADV □  The test can accurately predict what a bigger explosion would do.

2 ADJ An accurate statement or account gives a true or fair judgment of something. □  It is too early to give an accurate assessment of his condition. □  They were accurate in their prediction that he would change her life drastically. ●  ac|cu|rate|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  What many people mean by the word 'power' could be more accurately described as 'control'.