winnow

verb

win·now | \ ˈwi-(ˌ)nō

winnowed; winnowing; winnows

Definition of winnow

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : to remove (something, such as chaff) by a current of air

(2) : to get rid of (something undesirable or unwanted) : remove —often used with out winnow out certain inaccuracies— Stanley Walker

b(1) : separate, sift an old hand at winnowing what is true and significant— Oscar Lewis

(2) : select

2a : to treat (something, such as grain) by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter is eliminated

b : to free of unwanted or inferior elements : pare

c : narrow, reduce winnowed the field to four contenders

3 : to blow on : fan the wind winnowing his thin white hair — Time

intransitive verb

1 : to separate chaff from grain by fanning

2 : to separate desirable and undesirable elements

winnow

noun

Definition of winnow (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a device for winnowing

2a : the action of winnowing

b : a motion resembling that of winnowing

Other Words from winnow Winnow Has Old English Roots More Example Sentences Learn More about winnow

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Winnow Has Old English Roots

Verb

Beginning as windwian in Old English, winnow first referred to the removal of chaff from grain by a current of air. This use was soon extended to describe the removal of anything undesirable or unwanted (a current example of this sense would be "winnowing out outdated information"). People then began using the word for the selection of the most desirable elements (as in "winnowing out the true statements from the lies"). The association of winnow with the movement of air led to the meaning "to beat with or as if with wings," but that use is rare enough that it is found only in Merriam-Webster Unabridged. The word's last meaning ("to blow on or fan") blew in at the turn of the 19th century.

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

Verb

The least qualified applicants were winnowed out of the initial pool. Harvesters winnowed the chaff from the wheat.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Castro is among a dozen candidates in the race who have yet to meet Democratic National Committee popularity requirements aimed at winnowing the field by the third round of debates, scheduled for Houston Sept. 12 and 13. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "Julián Castro calls for federal gun license, better hate group monitoring," 9 Aug. 2019 Before the next debate, scheduled for September 12th in Houston, the eligibility requirements for participation are to be raised, in effect winnowing half the field. — I.k. | Washington, The Economist, "Joe Biden comes under fire in the second Democratic debate," 1 Aug. 2019 Larry Upshaw, executive director of Ageless Authors, said more than 50 judges winnowed approximately 450 international submissions to three finalists. — oregonlive.com, "Portland’s ‘gangster’ crows inspired poem that won international contest," 17 July 2019 Maintaining a house while caring for children is an exercise in winnowing down what must be done. — Chloe Schama, Vogue, "Women Still Do Most of the Housework. Can a Robot Help?," 9 July 2019 Dawid Potgieter, a senior program officer at the Templeton World Charity Foundation who is coordinating the endeavor, says that this is just the beginning of a sustained effort to winnow down theories of consciousness. — Quanta Magazine, "Neuroscience Readies for a Showdown Over Consciousness Ideas," 6 Mar. 2019 The longlist will be winnowed into a shortlist, which will be announced Sept. 3. — Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, "Booker Prize longlist includes Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Valeria Luiselli," 24 July 2019 They were winnowed down from a field of 10 contenders in a series of votes by Conservative party lawmakers. — Washington Post, "Who will choose the next UK leader? Mostly older white men," 22 June 2019 The field of 10 candidates will be winnowed down in a series of knockout rounds before a head-to-head showdown between the top two finishers. — Fox News, "How Britain's Conservatives will choose their next leader," 13 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That amount of freedom kind of winnows and expands throughout the piece. — Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, "A Long-Lost Score, Rebuilt With the Help of a Photo," 19 Jan. 2018 And by splintering the vote in Ohio and Florida, Mr. Cruz also risks handing Mr. Trump advantages in momentum and delegates that could be unstoppable, no matter how much the field winnows. — Jonathan Martin, New York Times, "Democratic Debate: Analysis," 5 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'winnow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for winnow

winnow

verb

English Language Learners Definition of winnow

: to remove (people or things that are less important, desirable, etc.) from a larger group or list : to make (a list of possible choices) smaller by removing the less desirable choices

: to remove (the unwanted coverings of seeds) from grain by throwing the grain up in the air and letting the wind blow the unwanted parts away

See the full definition for winnow in the English Language Learners Dictionary

winnow

verb

win·now | \ ˈwi-nō

winnowed; winnowing

Kids Definition of winnow

1 : to remove (as waste from grain) by a current of air

2 : to sort or separate from a larger group

winnow

Definition of winnow

Other Words from winnow

Winnow Has Old English Roots

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

First Known Use of winnow

History and Etymology for winnow

English Language Learners Definition of winnow

Kids Definition of winnow

winnow

Definition of winnow

Other Words from winnow

Winnow Has Old English Roots

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

First Known Use of winnow

History and Etymology for winnow

English Language Learners Definition of winnow

Kids Definition of winnow

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