winnow

American  

[win-oh] / ˈwɪn oʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to free (grain) from the lighter particles of chaff, dirt, etc., especially by throwing it into the air and allowing the wind or a forced current of air to blow away impurities.

2. to drive or blow (chaff, dirt, etc.) away by fanning.

3. to blow upon; fan.

4. to subject to some process of separating or distinguishing; analyze critically; sift.

   to winnow a mass of statements.

5. to separate or distinguish (valuable from worthless parts) (sometimes followed byout ).

   to winnow falsehood from truth.

6. to pursue (a course) with flapping wings in flying.

7. to fan or stir (the air) as with the wings in flying.

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verb (used without object)

1. to free grain from chaff by wind or driven air.

2. to fly with flapping wings; flutter.

noun

1. a device or contrivance used for winnowing.

2. an act of winnowing.

winnow British  

/ ˈwɪnəʊ /

verb

1. to separate (grain) from (chaff) by means of a wind or current of air

2. (tr) to examine in order to select the desirable elements

3. archaic (tr) to beat (the air) with wings

4. rare (tr) to blow upon; fan

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noun

1. 1. a device for winnowing

   2. the act or process of winnowing

Other Word Forms

• unwinnowed
  adjective
• winnower
  noun

Etymology

Origin of winnow

before 900; Middle English win ( d ) wen (v.), Old English windwian, derivative of wind wind ¹

Explanation

To winnow is to blow something away until you are left with what you want, like grain from chaff. If you only want your favorite people to attend your party, you will need to winnow down the guest list from 300 to 30. To winnow is to use air to “separate the wheat from the chaff" — literally or figuratively. If a coach winnows down the top NBA draft picks to his number one choice, then he'll focus his negotiations on that player. Chances are, if you encounter the word winnow on a given day, it is probably not in the literal context of grain.

Example Sentences

A company called Winnow has developed the A.I. tool that spies on restaurant garbage.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2024

The solution: Winnow down our existing wardrobes and then buy less, and with more clarity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2019

“That was sort of shocking to a lot of people,” said barbecue historian Robert Moss, who co-hosts The Post and Courier’s Southern food podcast, The Winnow.

From Washington Times • May 21, 2018

How to Winnow Corn. 1st Method.—Get some corn.

From Mr. Punch's Country Life by Hammerton, J. A. (John Alexander)

Sir 5:9 Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way: for so doth the sinner that hath a double tongue.

From Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Apocrypha by Anonymous

Related Words

• analyze
• discriminate
• distinguish
• separate
• sift