Augment, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Augmented; p. pr. & vb. n. Augmenting.]
Etymology: [L. augmentare, fr. augmentum an increase, fr. augere to increase; perh. akin to Gr. wax, v., and eke, v.: cf. F. augmenter.]
1. To enlarge or increase in size, amount, or degree; to swell; to make bigger; as, to augment an army by reëforcements; rain augments a stream; impatience augments an evil. But their spite still serves His glory to augment. Milton.
2. (Gram.)
To add an augment to.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Augment, v. i.
To increase; to grow larger, stronger, or more intense; as, a stream augments by rain.
Augment, n.
1. Enlargement by addition; increase.
2. (Gram.)
A vowel prefixed, or a lengthening of the initial vowel, to mark past time, as in Greek and Sanskrit verbs.
Note: In Greek, the syllabic augment is a prefixed temporal augment is an increase of the quantity (time) of an initial vowel, as by changing
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for augment; he lists it under add, amplify.
Where he writes about it:
To augment a thing is to increase it by any means, but this word is seldom used directly of material objects; we do not augment a house, a farm, a nation, etc. — from add
We may enlarge a house, a farm, or an empire, extend influence or dominion, augment riches, power or influence, attach or annex a building to one that it adjoins or papers to the document they refer to, annex a clause or a codicil, affix a seal or a signature, annex a territory, attach a condition to a promise. — from add