rasp

/ræsp/

/ræsp/

Other forms: rasping; rasped; rasps

When you rasp, you either file wood with a metal tool, or you speak in a harsh, irritating voice. Your rasp-y voice might get you a gig as a lounge singer, but probably not as a preschool teacher.

The tool called a rasp is a special kind of wood file that's much coarser than sandpaper, and when you use it, you rasp. If you've ever cared for a horse's hooves, you may have also used a rasp to file them. The "speak gratingly" meaning of rasp comes from the "scraping" sense of the word. If your voice sounds like a rasp against a rough surface, you're rasping.

Definitions of rasp

1. verb

   scrape with a rasp
   type of:

   abrade, abrase, corrade, rub down, rub off

   wear away
2. verb

   utter in a grating voice
   type of:

   mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize

   express in speech
3. noun

   a coarse file with sharp pointed projections
   synonyms: wood file

   type of:

   file

   a steel hand tool with small sharp teeth on some or all of its surfaces; used for smoothing wood or metal
4. noun

   uttering in an irritated tone
   synonyms: rasping

   type of:

   utterance, vocalization

   the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication