winnowing fan

noun

A specially shaped winnowing basket, in which grain is shaken in the process of winnowing, with the shape of the basket allowing the chaff to spill out more readily.

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Meanings

nounwinnowing fan (plural winnowing fans)

plural winnowing fans

  1. A specially shaped winnowing basket, in which grain is shaken in the process of winnowing, with the shape of the basket allowing the chaff to spill out more readily.
    1 more example

    The wind is the natural winnower, but man can help the wind by exposing the mixed chaff and grain. This he throws up on the winnowing fan against the wind, the wind blows away the chaff and the heavier grain falls to the ground. The best instrument with which to do this is naturally an oar-like pole, broadened at the end to serve as a shovel. Such an instrument was the πτύον (ptúon) or winnowing fan.

    1908, Jane Ellen Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion, page 529
  2. Any fan device, including those electrically powered, used in winnowing.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
winnowing basket

Translations

Ancient Greek πτύον, λίκνον
  • πτύον (ptúon)fan used to separate chaff from grain
  • λίκνον (líknon)fan used to separate chaff from grain
Chinese Mandarin 風車 /风车
  • 風車 /风车 (fēngchē)fan used to separate chaff from grain
Finnish löyhytin
  • löyhytinfan used to separate chaff from grain
French van
  • vanfan used to separate chaff from grain
Japanese 箕
  • 箕 (mi)fan used to separate chaff from grain
Latin vannus, ventilābrum
  • vannusfan used to separate chaff from grain
  • ventilābrumfan used to separate chaff from grain
Polish wiejadło
  • wiejadłofan used to separate chaff from grain
Russian ве́ялка
  • ве́ялка (véjalka)fan used to separate chaff from grain
Swahili ungo, uteo
  • ungofan used to separate chaff from grain
  • uteofan used to separate chaff from grain
Swedish vindsikt
  • vindsiktfan used to separate chaff from grain
Tamil முறம்
  • முறம் (muṟam)fan used to separate chaff from grain
Welsh gwyntyll
  • gwyntyllfan used to separate chaff from grain
Cite this entry
APA

winnowing fan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winnowing%20fan

MLA

“winnowing fan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winnowing%20fan. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “winnowing fan,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/winnowing%20fan.

Source: winnowing fan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.