sieve

plural sieves

1. A device with a mesh, grate, or otherwise perforated bottom to separate, in a granular material, larger particles from smaller ones, or to separate solid objects from a liquid.

   Near-synonyms: sifter, strainer, temse

   2 more examples

   Use the sieve to get the pasta from the water.

   The philosopher Demonax said of two dunces, 'one appeared to be milking a he-goat while the other was holding a sieve for him.'

   1847, editorial staff, “(untitled: Philosopher Demonax)”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 72

   Synonyms: sifter, strainer, temse

   1. obsoleteA kind of coarse basket.

      Synonyms: sifter, strainer, temse

2. A process, physical or abstract, that arrives at a final result by filtering out unwanted pieces of input from a larger starting set of input.
   1. mathematicsOne of several techniques for counting integers.

      Given a list of consecutive numbers starting at 1, the Sieve of Eratosthenes algorithm will find all of the prime numbers.

      1 more example

      Among, ^([sic]) his other achievements, Matiyasevich and his colleague Boris Stechkin also developed an interesting “visual sieve” for prime numbers, which effectively “crosses out” all the composite numbers, leaving only the primes.

      2010, Luke Mastin, “20TH CENTURY MATHEMATICS - ROBINSON AND MATIYASEVICH”, in www.storyofmathematics.com, retrieved 08 Sep 2013

   2. category theoryA collection of morphisms in a category whose codomain is a certain fixed object of that category, which collection is closed under precomposition by any morphism in the category.
3. colloquialA person, or their mind, that cannot remember things or is unable to keep secrets.
   1. colloquialderogatoryslangmedicineAn intern who lets too many non-serious cases into the emergency room.

      To be a sieve was to lack clinical judgment, courage, and group loyalty all at once.

      1997, Leo Galland, The Four Pillars of Healing, page 25

present singular third person sieves · participle present sieving · participle past sieved · past sieved

1. transitiveTo strain, sift or sort using a sieve.

   Serpulorbis grandis feeds on plankton that it seives ^([sic]) from the water like a clam does.

   2001, Julian Sprung, Invertebrates: A Quick Reference Guide, page 111

   Synonyms: screen

2. transitivehobbiesTo concede; to let in.

   This was their seventh defeat out of nine finals, including five in a row, and the second half was a chastening experience for the Serie A champions, culminating in them sieving more goals in one match than in the rest of the competition put together.

   2017 June 3, Daniel Taylor, “Real Madrid win Champions League as Cristiano Ronaldo double defeats Juve”, in The Guardian (London)