grating

views updated Jun 11 2018

grat·ing1 / ˈgrāting/ • adj. sounding harsh and unpleasant: her high, grating voice. ∎  irritating: a smarty-pants tone that I found grating.DERIVATIVES: grat·ing·ly adv.grat·ing2 • n. a framework of parallel or crossed bars, typically preventing access through an opening while permitting communication or ventilation. ∎  (also diffraction grating) Optics a set of equally spaced parallel wires, or a surface ruled with equally spaced parallel lines, used to produce spectra by diffraction.

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