WINNOW

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does winnow mean? 

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

1. the act of separating grain from chaff

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

• WINNOW (verb)
  The verb WINNOW has 4 senses:

1. separate the chaff from grain by using air currents

2. blow on

3. select desirable parts from a group or list

4. blow away or off with a current of air

  Familiarity information: WINNOW used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WINNOW (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 ("winnow" is a kind of...):

separation (sorting one thing from others)

Derivation:

winnow (separate the chaff from grain by using air currents)

• WINNOW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they winnow    ... he / she / it winnows   
Past simple: winnowed   
Past participle: winnowed   
-ing form: winnowing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Separate the chaff from grain by using air currents

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

She stood there winnowing grain all day in the field

Hypernyms (to "winnow" is one way to...):

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

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

winnow; winnowing (the act of separating grain from chaff)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Blow on

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the wind winnowed the grass

Hypernyms (to "winnow" is one way to...):

fan (agitate the air)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Select desirable parts from a group or list

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

cull out; winnow

Context example:

winnow the finalists from the long list of applicants

Hypernyms (to "winnow" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Blow away or off with a current of air

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

fan; winnow

Context example:

The speaker ceased to be an amusing little gnat to be fanned away and was kicked off the forum

Hypernyms (to "winnow" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

I swear, if you winnowed her out between the stars, like Tomlinson, there would be found in her not one original thought.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

These I heated before the fire, as well as I could, and rubbed them till the husks came off, which I made a shift to winnow from the grain.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)