sieve

American  

[siv] / sɪv /

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.

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verb (used with or without object)

sieved, sieving

1. to put or force through a sieve; sift.

sieve British  

/ 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

3. a very poor memory

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verb

1. to pass or cause to pass through a sieve

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

Other Word Forms

• sievelike adjective
• unsieved adjective

Etymology

Origin of sieve

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

Compare meaning

How does sieve compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sieve vs. strainer
• colander vs. sieve

Example Sentences

The average American home is about as airtight and well-insulated as a metal sieve.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

If you want a silky texture, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2025

It’s a kind of medievalism, in other words, that seems to have passed through a sieve of Jane Austen or Emily Brontë; now you can see it in the works of medieval-themed romantasy novels.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2025

Yoakam’s “Greater Bakersfield” is the sieve through which much of “Brighter Days” filtered.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

The front door was open, so the voices floated out the screen door like water through a sieve.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

Related Words

• colander