abrade

Abrade is a verb meaning to wear down or rub away a surface by friction. It can also refer to the process by which a surface is rubbed or ground to alter its texture, smoothness, or shape. The related noun is abrasion, and the adjective is abrasive.

Etymology traces abrade to the Latin abradere, from ad- “toward” plus radere “to scrape or rub.” The term entered English via Old French and early modern usage, and it is commonly used in technical, industrial, and scientific contexts as well as in everyday language.

In materials science and manufacturing, abrading processes include sanding, grinding, filing, and blasting with abrasive particles. These techniques remove material, prepare surfaces for coating, produce a desired finish, or create specific textures. Abrading can be done manually (sandpaper, hand tools) or mechanically (grinding wheels, power sanders, abrasive blasting). In finishing operations, control of pressure, speed, and particle size determines the rate of material removal and the resulting surface quality.

In geology and geomorphology, abrasion describes the wearing away of rock surfaces by mechanical action of transported particles, such as wind-blown sand or flowing water. In medical and dental contexts, abrasion refers to the wearing away of tissue or enamel by friction, and it can be a deliberate preparatory step or an unintended lesion.

Abrasion is distinct from erosion in that abrasion is primarily a mechanical wear process, while erosion can involve chemical or physical dissolution in addition to mechanical action. Synonyms include磨 wear, scrubbing, scouring, and shaving, while abrasive denotes the material or agent used in the process.