Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
winnow
verb
/ˈwɪnoʊ/
Definition
To separate or remove the chaff from grains by blowing air through them; to sift through and distinguish what is valuable from what is not.
Examples
- The farmer winnowed the wheat to get rid of the chaff.
- In a discussion, it is essential to winnow out the key ideas from the noise.
- We must winnow our thoughts before making a decision.
Meaning
Winnowing is the process of separating the useful parts of something from those that are not.
Synonyms
- separate
- filter
- sort
- distill
