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roughage

American  
[ruhf-ij] / ˈrʌf ɪdʒ /

noun

  1. rough or coarse material.

  2. any coarse, rough food for livestock.

  3. fiber.


roughage British  
/ ˈrʌfɪdʒ /

noun

  1. the coarse indigestible constituents of food or fodder, which provide bulk to the diet and promote normal bowel function See also dietary fibre

  2. any rough or coarse material

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of roughage

First recorded in 1880–85; rough + -age

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Awards season always brings a parade of Very Important Cinema to theaters, most of which have the appeal of roughage.

From Salon

Raw honey in its purest form would be the honeycomb which is edible and filled with natural vitamin A and also is a source of roughage.

From Salon

Although this heap of roughage looks as if it should be taken for medicinal purposes only, the greens have lost their ferocious raw quality after being thoroughly kneaded with a Caesar-like dressing.

From New York Times

It's a time when we focus on our "beach bodies": We're in and out of the gym and then right over to our favorite restaurant for that big bowl of summer roughage.

From Salon

The texture of the Simmer in Broth kale was so wonderful and unique, it inspired me to draw a series of stars around the phrase "buttery roughage" on my to-do list.

From Salon