grating

1 of 2

noun

grat·​ing ˈgrā-tiŋ 

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

grating

2 of 2

adjective

: causing irritation or annoyance

a grating habit

It's not just that the interruptions themselves are grating to watch: what's worse is the hostilities they create.

—Heather Schwedel

often : having a harsh or unpleasant sound

a grating voice/accent

If you just imagined that last quote spoken in Gottfried's grating, obnoxious yelling, that's now how you would hear him on the phone.

—Blake Hannon

The truck braked noisily with a grating shriek of steel.

—Mildred D. Taylor

gratingly adverb

a gratingly harsh sound

Something in Orcutt's proprietary manner had irritated her at that first meeting, something she found gratingly egotistical in his expansive courtesy …

—Philip Roth

Synonyms

Adjective

• grotesque
• harsh
• jarring
• unaesthetic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Asparagus is grilled to stripy blackness, bathed in olive oil, given a grating of parmesan, then topped with breadcrumbs — and a sunnyside-up fried egg. —Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2023

During the film, her character stands on a subway grating and coos as a gust of air twice whooshes up her pleated white dress, exposing her thighs. —Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022

Some recipes may require more time than opening a can of soup (lots of chopping, grating, and slicing) but the reward of warm fresh vegetables accented by vibrant flavors is worth it. —Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2022

Maceration of the rhizome, such as by grating, breaks the cell walls and releases these thioglucosides, as well as an enzyme known as myrosinase [1]. —Alice Chi Phung, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2014

This chopper is a gift option that offers some of the greatest functionality on the market with five interchangeable blades to also cover their slicing and grating needs. —Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 2 Nov. 2022

Use all of that performance, however, and the NX350h lets more of the four-cylinder engine's grating grumble enter the cabin. —Greg Fink, Car and Driver, 12 Oct. 2022

Like a KitchenAid, pasta making, meat grinding, and cheese grating attachments can be purchased too. —Lauren Joseph, Bon Appétit, 28 Sep. 2022

Top with everything from fresh pear or apple and a hit of creamy feta to a fresh grating of amaretti cookies — a classic Italian pairing with brown butter and butternut squash. —Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Oct. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1563, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grating

• diffraction grating

• diffraction grating

Kids Definition

grating

noun

grat·​ing

ˈgrāt-iŋ

1

: a frame of parallel bars or crossbars

2

: a transparent surface that is ruled with a series of very closely spaced parallel lines or bars and is used to produce spectra by the diffraction of light

Medical Definition

grating

noun

grat·​ing ˈgrāt-iŋ 

: a system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars ruled on a polished surface to produce spectra by diffraction

called also diffraction grating