winnow

present singular third person winnows · participle present winnowing · participle past winnowed · past winnowed

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

   [W]ind began to winnow the river delta's dried sediments.

   1998 January 3, Sid Perkins, “Thin Skin”, in Science News, volume 165, number 1, page 11

   1 more example

   By Jacob Behel, of Mifflintown, Pa.,—Improvement in winnowing Machines, Patented August 21, 1847.

   1847, editorial staff, “Winnowing Machines”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 68

   Synonyms: wind

2. figurativelytransitiveTo separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values.

   They winnowed the field to twelve.

   2 more examples

   They winnowed the winners from the losers.

   They winnowed the losers from the winners.

   Synonyms: comb out

3. literarytransitiveTo blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.

   The light snow lay on the narrow and winding path before them, pure as if just fresh winnowed by the wind.

   1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 206

   1 more example

   Gulls average much larger than terns, with stouter build; the feet are larger and more ambulatorial, the wings are shorter and not so thin; the birds winnow the air in a steady course unlike the buoyant dashing flight of their relatives.

   1872, Elliott Coues, Key to North American Birds

4. datedintransitiveliteraryTo move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.

plural winnows

1. That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.
2. The act of winnowing