verb, -lat⋅ed, -lat⋅ing.| 1. | to gather or collect, often in gradual degrees; heap up: to accumulate wealth. |
| 2. | to gather into a heap, mass, cover, etc.; form a steadily increasing quantity: Snow accumulated in the driveway. His debts kept on accumulating. |
ac·cu·mu·late (ə-kyōōm'yə-lāt') v. ac·cu·mu·lat·ed, ac·cu·mu·lat·ing, ac·cu·mu·lates v. tr. To gather or pile up; amass. See Synonyms at gather. v. intr. To mount up; increase. [Latin accumulāre, accumulāt- : ad-, ad- + cumulāre, to pile up (from cumulus, heap; see keuə- in Indo-European roots).] ac·cu'mu·la·ble (-lə-bəl) adj. |
accumulate