augment

To increase; to make larger or supplement.

Noun

  1. A grammatical prefix
    • The augment is found in Greek, Indo-Iranian, Armenian and Phrygian.

    1. (Indo-European languages) In some languages, a prefix *é- (अ- (a-) in Sanskrit, ἐ- (e-) in Greek) indicating a past tense of a verb.

    2. (Celtic languages) Especially Old Irish, a preverb, usually ro-, used to give a verb a resultative or potential meaning.

      • Fundamentally the augment characterizes a verbal action viewed from a non-contemporary standpoint, either the moment of speaking (or writing) or a further verbal action. - 1987, Kim McCone, chapter IX, in The early...

    3. (Bantu languages) In some languages, an additional vowel prepended to the noun prefix.

  2. An increase.

Origin

From Middle English augmenten, from Middle French augmenter, from Old French augmenter, from Late Latin augmentare (“to increase”), from Latin augmentum (“an increase, growth”), from augere (“to increase”).

Forms

augments

Related

auction augmentable augmentation august author authorize auxiliary

Derived

augmentless

Verb

  1. To increase; to make larger or supplement.
    • The money from renting out a spare room can augment a salary.
  2. To grow; to increase; to become greater.
  3. To slow the tempo or meter, e.g. for a dramatic or stately passage.
  4. To increase an interval, especially the largest interval in a triad, by a half step (chromatic semitone).
  5. To add an augment to.

Forms

augments augmenting augmented

Synonyms

add amplify augment dilate eke / eke out elevate embiggen enhance enlarge enlargen enrich greaten grow increase increment largen magnify propagate raise strengthen swell up

Antonyms

contract dial back diminish

Hypernyms

alter

Hyponyms

blow up inflate pump up maximize max out deepen lengthen widen skyrocket improve speed up

Derived

augmentary augmentee augmentive bioaugment reaugment