winnow

[ win-oh ]
See synonyms for: winnowwinnowing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to free (grain) from the lighter particles of chaff, dirt, etc., especially by throwing it into the air and allowing the wind or a forced current of air to blow away impurities.

  2. to drive or blow (chaff, dirt, etc.) away by fanning.

  1. to blow upon; fan.

  2. to subject to some process of separating or distinguishing; analyze critically; sift: to winnow a mass of statements.

  3. to separate or distinguish (valuable from worthless parts) (sometimes followed by out): to winnow falsehood from truth.

  4. to pursue (a course) with flapping wings in flying.

  5. to fan or stir (the air) as with the wings in flying.

verb (used without object)
  1. to free grain from chaff by wind or driven air.

  2. to fly with flapping wings; flutter.

noun
  1. a device or contrivance used for winnowing.

  2. an act of winnowing.

Origin of winnow

1
before 900; Middle English win(d)wen (v.), Old English windwian, derivative of windwind1

Other words from winnow

  • win·now·er, noun
  • un·win·nowed, adjective

Words Nearby winnow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use winnow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for winnow

winnow

/ (ˈwɪnəʊ) /


verb
  1. to separate (grain) from (chaff) by means of a wind or current of air

  2. (tr) to examine in order to select the desirable elements

  1. (tr) archaic to beat (the air) with wings

  2. (tr) rare to blow upon; fan

noun
    • a device for winnowing

    • the act or process of winnowing

Origin of winnow

1
Old English windwian; related to Old High German wintōn, Gothic diswinthjan, Latin ventilāre. See wind 1

Derived forms of winnow

  • winnower, noun

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