ACCOLADE:

■ noun
something granted as a special honour or in recognition of merit.
a ceremonial touch on a person's shoulders with a sword at the bestowing of a knighthood.

Word history
When it entered English in the 17th century the word accolade referred to a gesture performed by a monarch when knighting someone: an embrace around the neck, a kiss, or a touch on the shoulders with a sword. The word comes via French from Provençal acolada, literally 'an embrace around the neck', ultimately from Latin ad- 'to' and collum 'neck'; through collum it is linked to words such as collar and décolletage.

ACCLIVITY:

■ noun
Upward slope, ascending slope of a hill.
(synonym) ascent, rise, raise, climb, upgrade
(hypernym) slope, incline, side
(hyponym) uphill

eg. Ashbourn Grove, a neat well-built mansion, picturesquely seated on a gentle acclivity.

ACCELERATE:
■ verb begin to move more quickly.
▶increase in rate, amount, or extent.
▶Physics undergo a change in velocity. acceleration noun accelerative adjective