gradate
/ɡrəˈdeɪt
/verb
1Pass or cause to pass by gradations from one shade of colour to another: [no object]: the black background gradated towards a dark purple...
- So, the spectrum of wealth that gradates from the poor inner cities to the rich suburbs will be more clearly defined.
- This helped them build up the climaxes of phrasing, so characteristic of the Romantic style, and to gradate more smoothly to the final part.
- They slowly gradated into each other before the sun itself finally came up.
1.1 [with object] Arrange in steps or grades of size, amount, or quality: (as adjective gradated) the Temple compound became a series of concentric circles of gradated purity...
- From the top floors of the lobby, you see how the architects have gradated that surface with gravel, stone and ivy so that the urban realm really does flow into the bureaucratic.
- The bill also contains provisions relating to rent setting and reviews and procedures for the termination of tenancies, including gradated notice periods linked to the duration of a tenancy.
- Ground and polished, it can reveal a subtle, colored matrix of gradated sands and rock, such as you might find along the edge of a stream bed.
Origin
Mid 18th century: back-formation from gradation.