glean
verb (used with object)
to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.
was gleaning
-
past progressiveof glean.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The future governor of New Jersey was gleaning lessons in domination.
From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2019
When the Italian tragedienne discovered that the astute impresario was gleaning receipts substantially in excess of her own portion for the earlier performances, she made objection.
From Time Magazine Archive
The Army was gleaning the draft crop last week for ready-made technicians.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the meantime Christopher, along with offering optimistic and repeated assertions that the diamonds would surely be found, was gleaning a surprising amount of information as he flitted about the store.
From Christopher and the Clockmakers by William F. (William Frederick) Stecher
The solidity of ship’s breakfast was an early fact among those I was gleaning.
From The Bonadventure A Random Journal of an Atlantic Holiday by Edmund Blunden
