GRATING

Pronunciation (US):

• GRATING (noun)
  The noun GRATING has 3 senses:

1. a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air
2. a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
3. optical device consisting of a surface with many parallel grooves in it; disperses a beam of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) into its wavelengths to produce its spectrum

  Familiarity information: GRATING used as a noun is uncommon.

• GRATING (adjective)
  The adjective GRATING has 1 sense:

1. unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound

  Familiarity information: GRATING used as an adjective is very rare.

• GRATING (noun)

Meaning:

A barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

grating; grate

Hypernyms ("grating" is a kind of...):

barrier (a structure or object that impedes free movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "grating"):

grille; radiator grille (grating that admits cooling air to car's radiator)

Meaning:

A frame of iron bars to hold a fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

grate; grating

Hypernyms ("grating" is a kind of...):

frame; framework; framing (a structure supporting or containing something)

Holonyms ("grating" is a part of...):

furnace (an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.)

cooking stove; kitchen range; kitchen stove; range; stove (a kitchen appliance used for cooking food)

Meaning:

Optical device consisting of a surface with many parallel grooves in it; disperses a beam of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) into its wavelengths to produce its spectrum

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

diffraction grating; grating

Hypernyms ("grating" is a kind of...):

optical device (a device for producing or controlling light)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "grating"):

echelon (a diffraction grating consisting of a pile of plates of equal thickness arranged stepwise with a constant offset)

• GRATING (adjective)

Meaning:

Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound

Synonyms:

raspy; rasping; gravel; grating; gravelly; scratchy; rough

Context example:

a gravelly voice

Similar:

cacophonic; cacophonous (having an unpleasant sound)