Accretion vs. Concretion — What's the Difference?

Growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion.

A concretion is a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil. Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur.

Something contributing to such growth or increase

The act or process of concreting into a mass; coalescence.

(Biology) The growing together or adherence of parts that are normally separate.

The state of having been concreted

Slow addition to land by deposition of water-borne sediment.

A solid hard mass.

An increase of land along the shores of a body of water, as by alluvial deposit.

(Geology) A rounded mass of mineral matter found in sedimentary rock.

(Astronomy) An increase in the mass of a celestial object by its gravitational capture of surrounding interstellar material.

(Medicine) A solid mass, usually composed of inorganic material, formed in a cavity or tissue of the body; a calculus.

The act of increasing by natural growth; especially the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.

The process of aggregating or coalescing into a mass.

The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition.

A solid, hard mass formed by a process of aggregation or coalescence.

Something added externally to promote the external growth of an item.

(petrology) A rounded mass of a mineral, sometimes found in sedimentary rock or on the ocean floor.

Concretion; coherence of separate particles.

The action of making something concrete or the result of such an action.

(biology) A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers or toes.

The process of concreting; the process of uniting or of becoming united, as particles of matter into a mass; solidification.

(geology) The gradual increase of land by deposition of water-borne sediment.

A mass or nodule of solid matter formed by growing together, by congelation, condensation, coagulation, induration, etc.; a clot; a lump; a calculus.

(legal) The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark.

A rounded mass or nodule produced by an aggregation of the material around a center; as, the calcareous concretions common in beds of clay.

(legal) Gain to an heir or legatee; failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share percentage.

The formation of stonelike objects within a body organ (e.g., the kidneys)

(astrophysics) The formation of planets and other bodies by collection of material through gravity.

A hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts; found in hollow organs or ducts of the body;

The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.

An increase in the density of something

The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth.

The union of diverse things into one body or form or group; the growing together of parts

Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.

A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers or toes.

The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or soil from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark.

An increase by natural growth or addition

Something contributing to growth or increase;

(astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases

(biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles

(geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or water-borne sediment

(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)