WINNOW

winnow, winnowing, sifting

(noun) the act of separating grain from chaff; “the winnowing was done by women”

winnow, fan

(verb) blow away or off with a current of air; “winnow chaff”; “The speaker ceased to be an amusing little gnat to be fanned away and was kicked off the forum”

winnow

(verb) separate the chaff from grain by using air currents; “She stood there winnowing grain all day in the field”

winnow

(verb) blow on; “The wind was winnowing her hair”; “the wind winnowed the grass”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Verb

winnow (third-person singular simple present winnows, present participle winnowing, simple past and past participle winnowed)

(transitive, agriculture) To subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff.

(transitive, figuratively) To separate, sift, analyze, or test by separating items having different values.

(transitive, literary) To blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.

(intransitive, literary, dated) To move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.

Usage notes

• Used with adverb or preposition "down"; see also winnow down.

• Used with adverbs or prepositions "through", "away", and "out".

Hyponyms

• winnow down

Noun

winnow (plural winnows)

That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.

Source: Wiktionary

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Win"now, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Winnowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Winnowing.] Etym: [OE. windewen, winewen, AS. windwian; akin to Goth. winpjan (in comp.), winpi-skauro a fan, L. ventilare to fan, to winnow; cf. L. wannus a fan for winnowing, G. wanne, OHG. wanna. . See Wind moving air, and cf. Fan., n., Ventilate.]

1. To separate, and drive off, the chaff from by means of wind; to fan; as, to winnow grain. Ho winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing floor. Ruth. iii. 2.

2. To sift, as for the purpose of separating falsehood from truth; to separate, as had from good. Winnow well this thought, and you shall find This light as chaff that flies before the wind. Dryden.

3. To beat with wings, or as with wings.[Poetic] Now on the polar winds; then with quick fan Winnows the buxom air. Milton.

Win"now, v. i.

Definition: To separate chaff from grain. Winnow not with every wind. Ecclus. v. 9.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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