grating
adj : unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound; "a gravelly voice"
[syn: {gravel}, {gravelly}, {rasping}, {raspy}, {rough}]
n 1: a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a
passage but admitting air [syn: {grate}]
2: a frame of iron bars to hold a fire [syn: {grate}]
3: a surface with many parallel grooves in it; disperses a beam
of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) into its
wavelengths to produce its spectrum [syn: {diffraction
grating}]