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Winnow

//ˈwɪnoʊ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.
2
the act of separating grain from chaff wordnet
3
The act of winnowing

Verb

1
To subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff. transitive
"[W]ind began to winnow the river delta's dried sediments."
2
blow away or off with a current of air wordnet
3
To separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values. figuratively, transitive
"They winnowed the field to twelve."
4
select desirable parts from a group or list wordnet
5
To blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings. literary, transitive
"The light snow lay on the narrow and winding path before them, pure as if just fresh winnowed by the wind."

Show 3 more definitions

6
separate the chaff from grain by using air currents wordnet
7
To move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter. dated, intransitive, literary
8
blow on wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English wyndwen, from Old English windwian (“to winnow, fan, ventilate”), from Proto-West Germanic *windwōn, from Proto-Germanic *windwōną, *winþijaną (“to throw about, winnow”), from Proto-Indo-European *wē- (“to winnow, thresh”). Cognate with West Frisian wynje (“to winnow”), dialectal Dutch winden, winnen (“to winnow”), Middle High German winden (“to winnow”), Icelandic vinsa (“to pick out, weed”), Latin vannus (“a winnowing basket”). See fan, van.

Etymology 2

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