Aug*ment" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Augmented; p. pr. & vb. n. Augmenting.] [L. augmentare, fr. augmentum an increase, fr. augere to increase; perh. akin to Gr. &?;, &?;, E. 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.

Aug*ment", v. i. To increase; to grow larger, stronger, or more intense; as, a stream augments by rain.

Aug"ment (&?;), n. [L. augmentum: cf. F. augment.] 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.

&fist; In Greek, the syllabic augment is a prefixed &?;, forming an intial syllable; the temporal augment is an increase of the quantity (time) of an initial vowel, as by changing &?; to &?;.

• to increase, make larger or supplement
       The money from renting out a spare room can augment a salary.
  
• (music) to slow the tempo or meter, e.g. for a dramatic or stately passage
  
• (music) to increase an interval by a half step (chromatic semitone)
  
• (music) to increase the largest interval in a triad, especially a fifth or a sixth, by a half-step (chromatic semitone)