Overheard: accretion vs. secretion

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2008
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard in class during an in-class activity on mass transfer in close binary star systems.)

Student: "What does 'accretion' stand for?"

Instructor: "As in an 'accretion disk?' ...It's 'gathering' stuff from the companion star."

Student: "So, it's like the opposite of 'secretion?' Like in giving out stuff?"

Instructor: "Yeah--like exuding or oozing stuff out."

Esprit d'escalier:
Instructor: "'Accrete' is an obscure term, but it's similar to 'acquire' and 'accumulate.'"