Strie

Strie, more commonly encountered in its plural form striae, is a term used across several scientific disciplines to denote linear markings, furrows, or streaks that appear on a surface. The word comes from Latin stria, meaning furrow or groove. In English usage, striae is standard; strie appears mainly as a variant spelling in other languages or in older texts.

In geology and geomorphology, striae are scratches or grooves on bedrock produced by glacial abrasion. They provide information about the direction of ice movement and the mechanics of past glaciation. Similar linear markings can occur on other mineral surfaces through wear or deformation.

In biology and medicine, striae distensae are stretch marks in the skin resulting from dermal tearing during rapid growth or hormonal change. In histology, striations refer to the alternating light and dark bands in skeletal and cardiac muscle fibers due to sarcomere organization. In ophthalmology, Vogt's striae are fine lines in the corneal stroma seen in certain corneal conditions, such as keratoconus.

In materials science and manufacturing, striations or striae describe tool marks and surface markings produced by machining, grinding, or wear. In botany and seed science, striate seeds and leaves exhibit fine linear ridges or grooves on surfaces.

The term is cross-disciplinary; its precise meaning depends on context, but it generally denotes a linear feature formed by growth, movement, or contact processes rather than a single, uniform structure.