SIFTING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sifting mean? 

• SIFTING (noun)
  The noun SIFTING has 1 sense:

1. the act of separating grain from chaff

  Familiarity information: SIFTING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SIFTING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of separating grain from chaff

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

sifting; winnow; winnowing

Context example:

the winnowing was done by women

Hypernyms ("sifting" is a kind of...):

separation (sorting one thing from others)

Derivation:

sift (separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements)

 Context examples 

It is one of those cases where the art of the reasoner should be used rather for the sifting of details than for the acquiring of fresh evidence.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Researchers at Drexel University are using its pattern-recognition ability to identify microbial communities in the human body by sifting through volumes of genetic code.

(Microbes are at work in our bodies, and researchers have figured out what they're up to, National Science Foundation)

He saw no beauty in the sunshine sifting down through the green leaves, nor did the azure vault of the sky whisper as of old and hint of cosmic vastness and secrets trembling to disclosure.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)