Definition

Noun 1. The act or result of marking, decorating, or fastening with a strip or strips of material or color. 2. A pattern or arrangement of stripes or bands of contrasting color.

Usage and Examples

• As a decorative or fastening strip:
  • The fine leather belt featured elegant gold banding.
  • The banding around the edge of the table was made of a different wood.
• As a pattern of stripes:
  • The banding on the coral snake is a warning to predators.
  • Scientists study the characteristic banding patterns on chromosomes.

Advanced Usage

• Geological/Layering Context: Refers to visible layers in rock formations.
  • The banding in the metamorphic rock revealed its complex history.
• Technical/Manufacturing Context: Refers to the process of applying a reinforcing strip.
  • The banding on the crate ensured it would not break during shipping.

Variants and Related Words

• Band (noun): A flat, thin strip or loop of material used to fasten, decorate, or identify.
• Band (verb): To fasten, mark, or decorate with a band.
• Banded (adjective): Having or marked with bands.

Synonyms

• Striping
• Striation
• Banding pattern
• Edging (when referring to a decorative border)

Related Phrases

• Chromosome banding: A laboratory technique for producing a pattern of light and dark bands on chromosomes for identification.
• Color banding: An undesirable visual effect in digital imaging where gradients appear as discrete bands of color instead of a smooth transition.

Noun

1. an adornment consisting of a strip of a contrasting color or material
2. a stripe or stripes of contrasting color
   • chromosomes exhibit characteristic bands
   • the black and yellow banding of bees and wasps