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Sift

//sɪft// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Initialism of scale-invariant feature transform. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
  2. 2
    Initialism of Selection Instrument Flight Training. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Noun
  1. 1
    An act of sifting.
Verb
  1. 1
    To sieve or strain (something). transitive
  2. 2
    distinguish and separate out wordnet
  3. 3
    To separate or scatter (things) as if by sieving. transitive
  4. 4
    separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements wordnet
  5. 5
    To examine (something) carefully.; To scrutinize (someone or something) carefully so as to find the truth. archaic, dated, transitive

    "As neere as I could ſift him on that argument, On ſome apparant danger ſeene in him, Aym‘d at your Highneſſe, no inueterate malice."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    check and sort carefully wordnet
  2. 7
    To examine (something) carefully.; [with through] To carefully go through a set of objects, or a collection of information, in order to find something. transitive

    "Sifting through the work of great orators like Philostratus and Quintilian they identify numerous examples of classical irony, metaphor, comparison, etc. which are missing in Paul."

  3. 8
    move as if through a sieve wordnet
  4. 9
    To move data records up in memory to make space to insert further records. dated, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English syften, from Old English siftan, from Proto-West Germanic *siftijan.

Etymology 2

From Middle English syften, from Old English siftan, from Proto-West Germanic *siftijan.

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