augment definition

English augment definition

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Verb:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /ɔːɡˈmɛnt/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ɑɡˈmɛnt/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Noun:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɔːɡmənt/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɡmənt/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: aug‧ment

Verb

augment (third-person singular simple present augments, present participle augmenting, simple past and past participle augmented)

1. (transitive) To increase; to make larger or supplement.

   The money from renting out a spare room can augment a salary.

   • Increase definition

     (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater. (1 of 4 increase definitions)

   • Large definition

     Of considerable or relatively great size or extent. (1 of 6 large definitions)

   • Supplement definition

     Something added, especially to make up for a deficiency. (1 of 5 supplement definitions)
2. (intransitive, reflexive) To grow; to increase; to become greater.

   • Grow definition

     To become bigger. (1 of 5 grow definitions)

   • Greater definition

     comparative form of great: more great (1 of 2 greater definitions)
3. (music) To slow the tempo or meter, e.g. for a dramatic or stately passage.

   • Music definition

     A series of sounds organized in time, employing melody, harmony, tempo etc. usually to convey a mood. (1 of 7 music definitions)

   • Slow definition

     Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed. (1 of 7 slow definitions)

   • Tempo definition

     A frequency or rate. (1 of 8 tempo definitions)

   • Meter definition

     (always meter) A device that measures things. (1 of 8 meter definitions)
4. (music) To increase an interval, especially the largest interval in a triad, by a half step (chromatic semitone).

   • Interval definition

     A distance in space. (1 of 7 interval definitions)

   • Triad definition

     A grouping of three. (1 of 5 triad definitions)

   • Step definition

     An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace. (1 of 18 step definitions)

   • Chromatic definition

     Relating to or characterised by hue. (1 of 5 chromatic definitions)

   • Semitone definition

     The musical interval equal (exactly or approximately) to half a tone or one-twelfth of an octave (1 of 2 semitone definitions)
5. (grammar, transitive) To add an augment to.

   • Grammar definition

     A system of rules and principles for speaking and writing a language. (1 of 9 grammar definitions)

Translations

References

• “augment” in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, →ISBN.

Noun

augment (plural augments)

1. (grammar) In some Indo-European languages, a prefix e- (a- in Sanskrit) indicating a past tense of a verb.

   • Indo-European definition

     A major language family which includes many of the native languages of Europe, Western Asia and India, with notable Indic, Iranian and European sub-branches. (1 of 2 Indo-European definitions)

   • Prefix definition

     Something placed before another

     1. A morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat, etc. (1 of 5 prefix definitions)

   • Past Tense definition

     A form of language (and, in many languages, of a verb) used to refer to an event, transaction, or occurrence that did happen or had happened, or an object that existed, at a point in time before now. (1 of 2 past tense definitions)
2. (grammar) In some Bantu languages, an additional vowel prepended to the noun prefix.

   • Bantu definition

     A member of any of the African ethnic groups that speak a Bantu language. (1 of 3 Bantu definitions)
3. An increase.

Derived terms

• augmentless

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• augment in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• augment in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• augment at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• mutagen, negatum

Catalan augment definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin augmentum.

Noun

augment m (plural augments)

1. increase, rise, rising

   • Rise definition

     To move, or appear to move, physically upwards relative to the ground.

     1. To move upwards. (1 of 27 rise definitions)

   • Rising definition

     present participle of rise

Related terms

• augmentar

French augment definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin augmentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oɡ.mɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

augment m (plural augments)

1. (medieval law) part of the estates which the widow could inherit
   • Est aussi conclud et accordé qu'au lieu de douaire dont l'on a accoustumé d'user en France, ladite dame Elisabeth aura pour augment le dot dudit mariage selon l'usage des pais du roy d'Espagne, 166,666 escus d'or sol deux tiers. (marriage contract of the prince of Spain and Ms Elisabeth of France) note: this quote is in Middle French.

   • Widow definition

     A woman whose spouse has died (and who has not remarried); feminine of widower. (1 of 6 widow definitions)

   • Inherit definition

     To take possession of as a right (especially in Biblical translations). (1 of 8 inherit definitions)

   • Middle French definition

     A historical division of the French language, spoken roughly from 1340 to 1610, during which French became established as the official language of France.
2. (grammar) augment

   L'augment syllabique consiste en l’addition d’une syllabe ; l'augment temporel, dans le changement d’une brève en longue.

   • Augment definition

     To increase; to make larger or supplement. (1 of 5 augment definitions)

Related terms

• augmenter

Further reading

• “augment” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).