Definitions of accretion:

  • noun:   (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)
  • noun:   an increase by natural growth or addition
  • noun:   (geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or water-borne sediment
  • noun:   (biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles
  • noun:   (astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases
  • noun:   something contributing to growth or increase
    Example: "He scraped away the accretions of paint"