culling

American  

[kuhl-ing] / ˈkʌl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of selecting and removing desirable or undesirable individuals from a group.

   Reducing farm exposure to the bacteria will require more rigorous testing and culling of infected animals.

2. the process of gathering or collecting.

   To realize progress through the transfer of ideas, an informed culling of content and the extension of a shared knowledge base are essential.

3. the group of things resulting from either of these processes.

   The collection War in Context provides a crucial culling of stories that I would surely have missed had I not read it.

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Etymology

Origin of culling

cull ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

L.A.’s nightlife — particularly in downtown — is still recovering from the pandemic-era culling of live venues and hospitality.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

To solve it, she has employed a full-time worker whose main job is culling deer.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

By culling the bears -- which can weigh up to half a ton and outrun a human -- officials hope to stem the threat across parts of northern Japan.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

"Thorough culling" to reduce the number of bears is the only effective way to reduce the risk for local people, researcher Ohnishi said.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

“He’s culling, down at the chicken houses,” she said.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Related Words

• choice
• collection
• draft
• election
• excerpt
• option
• pick