Main Entry:

¹win·now

Pronunciation:

\ˈwi-(ˌ)nō\

Function:

verb

Etymology:

Middle English winewen, from Old English windwian to fan, winnow; akin to Old High German wintōn to fan, Latin vannus winnowing fan, ventus wind — more at wind

Date:

before 12th century

transitive verb1 a (1): to remove (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): select2 a: to treat (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 verb1: to separate chaff from grain by fanning2: to separate desirable and undesirable elements

— win·now·er \ˈwi-nə-wər\ noun