Fine lines, ridges, or grooves, often parallel to each other, found on surfaces or in patterns; commonly seen in rock formations, muscles, or zebra stripes.
From Latin 'striatus' (grooved or furrowed), from 'stria' (a groove or channel). The suffix '-tion' creates the noun. The word entered English in the 1600s through geological and anatomical description.
Muscle fibers are called 'striated' muscles, which means they have visible striations under a microscope—and this striping is what gives muscles their incredible ability to contract precisely. Your bicep literally looks like a tiny barcode under the right magnification!
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