striation

noun stri·a·tion \ strī-ˈā-shən \

Definition of striation

1 a :the fact or state of being striated

b :arrangement of striations or striae

2 :a minute groove, scratch, or channel especially when one of a parallel series

3 :any of the alternate dark and light cross bands of a myofibril of striated muscle

See striation defined for kids

Recent Examples of striation from the Web

The canyon walls showed vertical striations of rock layers, even as small waterfalls poured down from above.

— chris mooney, Alaska Dispatch News, "Going through one of the most infamous – and narrow – straits of the Northwest Passage," 19 Aug. 2017
Some of the most beautiful dresses in Simons’s first couture collection for Dior were made from fabric that duplicated the sensuous, blurred, green-and-pink striations of an abstract Ruby painting.

— bob colacello, Vanities, "How Raf Simons Captured the Calvin Klein Empire," 31 July 2017
Some of the most beautiful dresses in Simons’s first couture collection for Dior were made from fabric that duplicated the sensuous, blurred, green-and-pink striations of an abstract Ruby painting.

— bob colacello, vanityfair.com, "How Raf Simons Captured the Calvin Klein Empire," 31 July 2017
Microsaur scales frequently have thickened posterior margins and possess striations or starburst or net-like ornament.

— darren naish, Scientific American Blog Network, "The Microsaurs of Yore," 7 July 2017
Rocks lodged under the heavy ice scored the bedrock underneath, and from a distance, these parallel scratches (called striations) could be said to resemble combed hair.

— marnie mcinnes, The Atlantic, "Why Geologists Think Glacial Mountains Look Like Sheep," 7 July 2017
The intermittent sunlight and shadows brought out an array of colors in the striations of the rock layers.

— brady macdonald, latimes.com, "Sometimes, when things go awry on the road, the morning's rays make up for it, as they did in the Grand Canyon," 9 June 2017
Gaze in wonder at the striations of color in Death Valley, feel on your clothes the sopping California fog and on your face the weight of a cloud bank pressing against a lone tree on a South Dakota horizon.

— dominique browning, New York Times, "Photos, Gardens, Birds, Trees: What’s Happening in the Great Outdoors," 29 May 2017
Plato talks of inequality and class striations as being the biggest threat to Greek society.

— fred swegles, Orange County Register, "‘Ultramarathon Man’ Dean Karnazes embraces 153-mile trek and his roots in Greece," 22 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'striation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of striation

circa 1847

Medical Dictionary

striation

noun stri·a·tion \ strī-ˈā-shən \

medical Definition of striation

1 :the fact or state of being striated

2 :a minute groove, scratch, or channel especially when one of a parallel series

3 :any of the alternate dark and light cross bands of a myofibril of striated muscle

Learn More about striation

See words that rhyme with striation

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up striation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

striation

Definition of striation

Recent Examples of striation from the Web

First Known Use of striation

Medical Dictionary

striation

medical Definition of striation

Learn More about striation

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

adversity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

I'll Have the Us(ual)

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

Spell It

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066

striation

Definition of striation

Read the Latest from M-W

Recent Examples of striation from the Web

First Known Use of striation

Medical Dictionary

striation

medical Definition of striation

Learn More about striation

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066