What does "cull" mean?
A selection.
Cull
/cɑl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A selection.
- Grammar: cull is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abscind, accumulate, amass, amputate.
- Useful contrasts: conservation, enrichment, include all.
- Usage evidence: I breed betta fish and cull my unwanted stock by feeding them to my oscar.
How to use "cull"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cull" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cull" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cull" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cull" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cull" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abscind" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cull", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A selection.
- 2 A fool, gullible person; a dupe. dialectal, slang
"Follow but my counsel, and I will show you a way to empty the pocket of a queer cull without any danger of the nubbing cheat."
- 3 the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality wordnet
- 4 An organized killing of selected animals.
"It seemed that the sun shone and all was right in our Blakean islands until the government began to set in motion its promised cull of badgers in an effort to control bovine TB. Salvation for brock came in the form of an online petition started by Queen guitarist Brian May, the rising costs of the programme and the weather."
- 5 A man or boy. UK, obsolete, slang
"But you don't want no dealings with that cull. A darker villain I never did see."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An individual animal selected to be killed, or item of produce to be discarded.
- 7 A lobster having only one claw.
- 8 A piece unfit for inclusion within a larger group; an inferior specimen.
Verb
- 1 To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
"1984, cover star: JOE DALLESANDRO culled from Andy Warhol's FLESH — anonymous; sleeve notes from The Smiths' eponymous album"
- 2 look for and gather wordnet
- 3 To gather, collect.
"[T]he yellowbanded bees, / Through half-open lattices / Coming in the scented breeze, / Fed thee, a child, lying alone, / With whitest honey in fairy gardens culled— […]"
- 4 remove something that has been rejected wordnet
- 5 To select animals from a group and then kill them in order to reduce the numbers of the group in a controlled manner.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To kill (animals, etc). broadly
- 7 To lay off in order to reduce the size of, get rid of.
- 8 To selectively not render or process certain objects, such as polygons.
"back-face culling"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"I breed betta fish and cull my unwanted stock by feeding them to my oscar."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cull"?
Common synonyms include: abscind, accumulate, amass, amputate, annihilate, assemble.
How do you use "cull" in a sentence?
I breed betta fish and cull my unwanted stock by feeding them to my oscar.
How do you pronounce "cull"?
Pronounced /cɑl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English cullen, cuilen, coilen, from Old French cuillir (“collect, gather, select”), from Latin colligō (“gather together”). Doublet of coil.
Etymology 2
Perhaps an abbreviation of cully.