amass
UK[əˈmæs]US[əˈmæs]
v
to collect something, especially in large quantities
v
to gradually get a large amount of money, knowledge, information, etc.
Morpheme Breakdown
a
mass
a
to, towards
mass
lump, heap
Etymology
the word 'amass' entered english in the late 15th century from old french 'amasser', which itself was built from the latin elements 'ad-' (to) and 'massa' (a mass, lump). the latin 'massa' is believed to originate from greek 'maza' (barley cake, lump), a term derived from the verb 'massein' (to knead). the core semantic journey is from the physical act of kneading material into a lump to the abstract process of gathering or accumulating things into a large quantity. thus, the modern sense of collecting or accumulating wealth or objects on a large scale logically extends from the literal idea of moving items toward ('ad-') a single heap ('massa').
Analysis
Structure: a (to, towards) + mass (lump, heap)
a- (Latin ad-, meaning 'to, towards'); mass (Latin massa, meaning 'lump, dough, heap').
Examples
he managed to amass a considerable fortune over his lifetime.
the museum has amassed a huge collection of artifacts from the region.
she amassed enough evidence to support her groundbreaking theory.