grating

¹

[grey-ting]

noun

1. a fixed frame of bars or the like covering an opening to exclude persons, animals, coarse material, or objects while admitting light, air, or fine material.

2. Physics.,  diffraction grating.

grating

²

[grey-ting]

adjective

1. irritating or unpleasant to one's feelings.

2. (of a sound or noise) harsh, discordant, or rasping.

grating

¹

/ ˈɡreɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of sounds) harsh and rasping

2. annoying; irritating

noun

1. (often plural) something produced by grating

grating

²

/ ˈɡreɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called: grate. a framework of metal bars in the form of a grille set into a wall, pavement, etc, serving as a cover or guard but admitting air and sometimes light

2. short for diffraction grating

Other Word Forms

• gratingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of grating¹

First recorded in 1605–15; grat(e) ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of grating²

First recorded in 1555–65; grat(e) ² + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Special strainers for grating and juicing tomatoes gained a place among kitchen furnishings.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He had high hopes putting a businessman in the White House and, although he found the president’s monster ego grating, Mahan voted for his reelection.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Ms. Sears heckled Ms. Spanberger throughout the debate, and it was grating.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While grating noises and intolerable heat may be experienced in pockets across the city, making it hard to draw direct comparisons, some whole sections of L.A. feel conspicuously beset by these environmental disturbances.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A splash of cream softened everything into a pale, velvety sauce, and a grating of parmesan and lemon zest nudged it toward something bright and indulgent.

Read more on Salon