washboarding

plural washboardings

1. uncountableusuallyThe appearance of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road, caused by wear from traffic, erosion, or poor grading.

   Aggregate quality is important to prevent washboarding.

   1997, Better Roads - Volume 67, page 33

   3 more examples

   According to the road crew, two forms of road surface damage are common to this haul route — washboarding and potholing.

   1988, Deborah J. Taylor, National Central Tire Inflation Program

   As the surface aged with traffic, the washboarding decreased in severity.

   1990, Harold W. Muncy, Asphalt Emulsions - Issue 1079, →ISBN, page 67

   Corrugations (washboardings) are fairly regular evenly spaced transverse ridges and caused by traffic actions in conjunction with loose aggregate.

   2005, T.F. Fwa, The Handbook of Highway Engineering, →ISBN, pages 16–17

   Synonyms: corrugation

2. uncountableusuallyA streaky appearance on solid patches of color printed on corrugated materials, resulting from the uneven pressure exerted due to corrugations.

   The flute tips and the buckling or washboarding between the flutes tips can be seen easily.

   2005, Tappi Journal - Volume 4, page 7

   2 more examples

   When postprinting, washboarding influences the printability. Washboarding depends mainly on the distance between the flute tips ...

   1987, Paper Technology and Industry - Volumes 28-29, page 267

   Washboarding is a result of a waviness of the liner structure that follows the flutes of the comigated medium.

   2008, Appita Journal

3. uncountableusuallybeesAn unexplained behavior in which bees move across the surface of their hive with a rocking motion.

   The behavior shown here is washboarding.

   2010, Malcolm T. Sanford, Richard E. Bonney, Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, →ISBN, page 64

   2 more examples

   He then ran the images back in slow motion. They resembled the “washboarding” of bees, a herringboning, a shimmy.

   2013, Barry Werth, The Billion-Dollar Molecule: The Quest for the Perfect Drug, →ISBN, page 322

   Certainly, interior surfaces and some exterior surfaces are coated with propolis, but washboarding behavior is not necessarily associated with propolis application.

   2015, James E. Tew, The Beekeeper's Problem Solver, →ISBN, page 72

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of washboard