striation

[ strahy-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. striated striated condition or appearance.
2. a stria; one of many parallel striae.
3. Geology. any of a number of scratches or parallel grooves on the surface of a rock, resulting from the action of moving ice, as of a glacier.
4. Cell Biology. any of the alternating light and dark crossbands that are visible in certain muscle fibers, especially of voluntary muscles, and are produced by the distribution of contractile proteins.

striation

/ straɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. an arrangement or pattern of striae
2. the condition of being striate
3. another word for stria

striation

/ strī-ā′shən /

1. One of multiple, usually parallel grooves or scratches on a rock surface, produced by abrasion associated with glacial movement, stream flow, a geologic fault, or meteoric impact.
2. See more at glacial striation

Other Words From

• inter·stri·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of striation¹

First recorded in 1840–50; striate + -ion

Example Sentences

I often compared myself to these superheroes—feeling their plastic muscles with my fingers, tracing the striation, the definition—and then doing the same thing on my body: my concave chest, my ribs that I thought were obliques, my ruler-like clavicle, the way my legs were pencils and my arms were lead.

From Slate

Still another cut pieces from the glass, paying close attention to color and striation.

From New York Times

Lately, she has added volume in the form of sheets of lead that partially overlay the main surface: They are crinkled like tinfoil, the result of working them by hand over rock formations, imprinting every fissure and striation.

From New York Times

From close up, they exhibit a sticky, glimmering striation.

From New York Times

That skunky striation was always a surprising betrayal.

From New York Times

Related Words

• ribbon