glean

[ gleen ]
See synonyms for: gleangleanedgleaninggleaner on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.

  2. to gather small amounts of (grain or the like) left behind after a harvest, nowadays often for charitable use.

  1. to clear (a field, orchard, etc.) of leftover produce in this way: Millet’s painting The Gleaners depicts three peasant women stooping low as they glean a field of wheat.

  2. to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly.

verb (used without object)
  1. to collect or gather anything little by little or slowly.

  2. to gather what is left by reapers.

Origin of glean

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English glenen, from Old French glener, from Late Latin glennāre, ultimately from Celtic

Other words for glean

Other words from glean

  • glean·a·ble, adjective
  • glean·er, noun

Words Nearby glean

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use glean in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for glean

glean

/ (ɡliːn) /


verb
  1. to gather (something) slowly and carefully in small pieces: to glean information from the newspapers

  2. to gather (the useful remnants of a crop) from the field after harvesting

Origin of glean

1
C14: from Old French glener, from Late Latin glennāre, probably of Celtic origin

Derived forms of glean

  • gleanable, adjective
  • gleaner, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012