rasp
verb (used with object)
to scrape or abrade with a rough instrument.
was rasping
-
past progressiveof rasp.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
His cough was rasping, his thighs as thin as his calves, and a thumb and forefinger could practically encircle his ankles.
From Reuters ● Jul. 24, 2019
The presence of scratches on the inner surface of Alfred’s teeth suggest he was rasping his tongue along the back of them when feeding.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 29, 2016
Talking by telephone to a political colleague, De Sapio's voice was rasping, his diction marked by such New York pronouns as "dese" and "dem."
From Time Magazine Archive
The tone was rasping, but I could not make it otherwise.
From The Land of Frozen Suns by Bertrand W. Sinclair
But between his objurgations on that score, he was rasping out questions designed to exhaust the chief clerk's store of information concerning the status of affairs at the seat of war.
From A Fool for Love by Francis Lynde
