sieve

[ siv ]
See synonyms for: sievesievedsieving on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. an instrument with a meshed or perforated bottom, used for separating coarse from fine parts of loose matter, for straining liquids, etc., especially one with a circular frame and fine meshes or perforations.

  2. a person who cannot keep a secret.

verb (used with or without object),sieved, siev·ing.
  1. to put or force through a sieve; sift.

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Origin of sieve

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English sive, Old English sife; cognate with Dutch zeef, German Sieb; cf. sift

Other words from sieve

  • sievelike, adjective
  • un·sieved, adjective

Words Nearby sieve

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

How to use sieve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sieve

sieve

/ (sɪv) /


noun
  1. a device for separating lumps from powdered material, straining liquids, grading particles, etc, consisting of a container with a mesh or perforated bottom through which the material is shaken or poured

  2. rare a person who gossips and spreads secrets

  1. memory like a sieve or head like a sieve a very poor memory

verb
  1. to pass or cause to pass through a sieve

  2. (tr often foll by out) to separate or remove (lumps, materials, etc) by use of a sieve

Origin of sieve

1
Old English sife; related to Old Norse sef reed with hollow stalk, Old High German sib sieve, Dutch zeef

Derived forms of sieve

  • sievelike, adjective

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