gleaned
Americanadjective
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gathered slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.
Scavenging footage originally made by other people for other purposes, these moviemakers then manipulate the gleaned images to create new meanings.
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(of grain, fruit, or other crops) gathered from what has been left behind after regular harvesting.
The gleaned fruit is donated to local charities for distribution to the hungry.
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(of a field, orchard, etc.) cleared of leftover produce in this way.
I was walking through a gleaned field behind the village.
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learned, discovered, or found out, usually slowly or little by little.
Over the years I’ve put a lot of research into my betting, and the benefit of this gleaned knowledge is paying dividends.
verb
Other Word Forms
- ungleaned adjective
Etymology
Origin of gleaned
First recorded in 1595–1605; glean ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; glean ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Simile uses data gleaned from chats with human beings to train AI agents, who then become the digital twins of those people, said Joon Park, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup’s co-founder and chief executive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Here is what we gleaned about the film in slightly more than two minutes:
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Kothari likes to go deep, often finding new ideas by interviewing customers of companies and following up on tidbits gleaned from industry executives.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
I’m not a homeowner myself, but I’ve gleaned from friends and family who do own homes that the costs can feel endless.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026
I empty out my handbag, looking through my notes scribbled on bits of paper, all the scraps of information I’ve gleaned, the memories shifting like shadows, and I wonder, Why am I doing this?
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.