accumulate

UK: /əˈkjuːmjʊleɪt/ US: /əˈkjumjəˌleɪt/ ,(ə kyo̅o̅′myə lāt′)

Inflections of 'accumulate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

accumulates

v 3rd person singular

accumulating

v pres p

accumulated

v past

accumulated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ac•cu•mu•late /əˈkyumyəˌleɪt/   v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to gather or collect, esp. by degrees; heap up: [~ + object]
   had accumulated a large collection of papers and books.
   [no object]
   Dust accumulated on the desktop.

ac•cu•mu•la•tion /əˌkyumyəˈleɪʃən/  n. [uncountable* countable]
ac•cu•mu•la•tive /əˈkyumyəˌleɪtɪv, -lətɪv/  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ac•cu•mu•late  (ə kyo̅o̅′myə lāt′), v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees;
   heap up:
   to accumulate wealth.

v.i. 

2. to gather into a heap, mass, cover, etc.;
   form a steadily increasing quantity:
   Snow accumulated in the driveway. His debts kept on accumulating.

• Latin accumulātus heaped up (past participle of accumulāre), equivalent. to ac- ac- + cumul(us) heap + -ātus -ate¹
• 1520–30

ac•cu′mu•la•ble, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

accumulate / əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/ verb

1. to gather or become gathered together in an increasing quantity; amass; collect

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin accumulātus, past participle of accumulāre to heap up, from cumulus a heap

acˈcumulable adjective

acˈcumulative adjective