sanding

Pluralsandings

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act or process of smoothing or shaping a surface by rubbing it with sandpaper or a similar abrasive.

   The cabinet needed several hours of sanding before it could be stained.

   A quick sanding between coats gives the finish a smoother result.

   Similarsmoothing, abrasion, rubbing, polishing

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of sand.

   She is sanding the hull of the boat before repainting it.

   Workers were sanding the beams when the power suddenly failed.

   Note

   The -ing form carries every sense of the verb sand. It can mean smoothing a surface with an abrasive, spreading sand over something, or, in the past, blotting wet ink with sand. Each takes a direct object: sanding a floor, sanding an icy path. The same spelling is also a noun naming the act of smoothing, and that noun goes back to Middle English sanding.

3. 3
   noununcountable

   The application of sand to railway rails to improve the grip between the wheels and the track.

   Automatic sanding kicks in when the locomotive detects wheel slip.

   The driver applied manual sanding while climbing the steep grade.

   Note

   On the railway the word names equipment as well as an act. Railway Magazine wrote in 1951 that a British Railways Standard Class 5 locomotive's sanding was "by steam," fitted ahead of particular wheels. The same word scales up to the track itself: Trains Illustrated in 1959 reports "heavy sanding of the lines," carried out by locomotives sent out to treat the rails.

4. 4
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A coating of sugar crystals applied to confectionery, especially to jellied candies.

   The factory adds a sanding of fine sugar to each batch of fruit jellies.

   Without a proper sanding, the soft candies clump together in the box.

   Similardusting, coating, sprinkling

   Note

   Here the word names the coating itself, not the act of applying it, and the name borrows the grainy look of sand. Confectioners qualify it by what it is made of. Sugar sanding is the plain kind, and sour sanding gives a tart finish. The coarse crystals used for it are called sanding sugar, and the layer adds sparkle and keeps soft jellies from sticking together.

5. 5
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A type of dance performed on a floor covered with sand.

   The vaudeville act ended with a lively sanding across the stage.

   Sanding requires a smooth, even layer of sand underfoot so the dancer's shoes can slide and tap.

6. 6
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The process of testing the surface of fired gilding using fine sand and water.

   The gilder's sanding revealed a flaw in the freshly fired surface.

   Each piece undergoes sanding before it leaves the workshop.

7. 7
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Covering oysters with sand so that they are buried.

   The fishery's sanding buried each batch of oysters along the shore.

   After the sanding, the oysters stay buried in cool, wet sand until they are shipped to market.

Showing meanings only. Show all 7