Definition of grating
1 : a wooden or metal lattice used to close or floor an opening
2 : a partition, covering, or frame of parallel bars or crossbars
3 : a system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars ruled on a polished surface to produce spectra by diffraction
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of grating from the Web
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And even the non-pejorative words can get a little grating: Homosexual, anyone?
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The grating on the drawbridge was also graded to be friendly to bicyclists, and the deck of the fixed bridge was repaired.
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So perhaps Jamie Muller shouldn't have been skiing near it in the Swiss Alps in the first place, and his cavalier attitude about the whole things is a little grating.
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The title character, played by Richard Gere, is a grating yet dogged go-between, shuttling from politician to banker to diplomat to religious leader and other muckety-mucks.
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A man called about a crying cat that had its head wedged in a broken wall grating.
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Whisk in yogurt, feta, dill and a grating of nutmeg.
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The CD acts as a diffraction grating, which spreads the laser light out across all its wavelengths.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grating.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of grating
1622
GRATING Defined for English Language Learners
grating
playDefinition of grating for English Language Learners
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: a frame with bars across it that is used to cover an opening
GRATING Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
grating
playMedical Definition of grating
: a system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars ruled on a polished surface to produce spectra by diffraction—called also diffraction grating
Learn More about grating
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See words that rhyme with grating Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grating Spanish Central: Translation of grating Nglish: Translation of grating for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grating for Arabic speakers
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