roughness
nounCA, US, UK, SC /ˈɹʌf.nəs/ · AU, NZ /ˈɹɐf.nəs/
Etymology Inherited from Middle English roughnes /roughnesse. By surface analysis, rough + -ness. Compare Old English hrēohnes (“roughness”).
1
The property of being rough, coarseness.
- The roughness of the road made me wonder if my car would fall apart.
2
Something that is rough; a rough spot.
- A variety of suitable methods for surface inspection are available to detect topographical defects induced by surface roughnesses such as scratches, digs, inclusions and spatters.2003, Klaus Bange, “Surfaces of Substrate Glasses”, in Thin Films on Glass, Springer Science & Business Media, page 101:
3
US Roughage; coarse fodder.
- With this latter implement, the corn stalk fodder, shucks, oats, hay and other "roughness" may be finely cut up[…]1855, Southern Cultivator, volume 13, page 258:
4
Scotland Abundance, especially of food.
5
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A measure of how rough something is, such as a surface
- The surface roughness was low.
- Derived terms
- macroroughness, microroughness, nanoroughness, roughness length