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winnow
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As a verb, winnow means subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff. As a noun, it means that which winnows or which is used in winnowing.
Meanings of winnow
8 meaningsverb
agricultureTo subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff.
figurativelyTo separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values.
“They winnowed the field to twelve.”
“They winnowed the winners from the losers.”
literaryTo blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.
Select desirable parts from a group or list
“cull out the interesting letters from the poet's correspondence”
“winnow the finalists from the long list of applicants”
Similar: cull out
Older and rare meanings (1)
literarydatedTo move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.
noun
That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.
The act of winnowing
Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).