Dictionary.com
definitions

gleaning

[ glee-ning ]
/ ˈgli nɪŋ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gleaning ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person who gleans.
gleanings, things found or acquired by gleaning.

RELATED CONTENT

7 Band Names DefinedRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

cull, extract, gather, sift, garner, deduce, learn, reap, amass, conclude, pick, winnow, ascertain, accumulate, harvest, select

Nearby words

  1. gld.,
  2. gleam,
  3. gleamy,
  4. glean,
  5. gleaner,
  6. gleanings,
  7. gleason,
  8. gleba,
  9. glebe,
  10. glede

Origin of gleaning

First recorded in 1400–50, gleaning is from the late Middle English word glenynge. See glean, -ing1

Definition for gleaning (2 of 2)

glean

[ gleen ]
/ glin /

verb (used with object)

to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.
to gather (grain or the like) after the reapers or regular gatherers.
to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly.

verb (used without object)

to collect or gather anything little by little or slowly.
to gather what is left by reapers.

Origin of glean

1350–1400; Middle English glenen < Old French glener < Late Latin glennāre ≪ Celtic
Related formsglean·a·ble, adjectiveglean·er, nounun·gleaned, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gleaning

British Dictionary definitions for gleaning

glean

/ (ɡliːn) /

verb

to gather (something) slowly and carefully in small piecesto glean information from the newspapers
to gather (the useful remnants of a crop) from the field after harvesting
Derived Formsgleanable, adjectivegleaner, noun

Word Origin for glean

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

Word Origin and History for gleaning

glean

v.

early 14c., from Old French glener (Modern French glaner) "to glean," from Late Latin glennare "make a collection," perhaps from Gaulish (cf. Old Irish do-glinn "he collects, gathers," Celt. glan "clean, pure"). Figurative sense was earlier in English than the literal one of "gather grain left by the reapers" (late 14c.). Related: Gleaned; gleaning.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper