cull

1 of 2

verb

ˈkəl 

culled; culling; culls

transitive verb

1

: to select from a group : choose

culled the best passages from the poet's work

Damaged fruits are culled before the produce is shipped.

2

: to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals

The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.

culling a herd of cattle

also : to hunt or kill (individuals) for culling

culling diseased cows

culled hundreds of deer

culler noun

cull

2 of 2

noun

: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless

… how to separate good-looking pecans from culls.

—The Washington Post

Synonyms

Verb

• select
• choose
• pick
• take

Noun

• discard
• second
• reject

Examples of cull in a Sentence

Verb

He culls his herd annually.

The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.

Noun

the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

What Biden did: Chickens are culled to stop bird flu’s spread and protect nearby farms, the poultry industry and public health. —Amy Sherman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

That has an economic impact since immobile cows are culled: Canning points to U.K. data suggesting cattle lameness results in £142 million ($190 million) of losses there. —Chris Stokel-Walker, Fortune, 26 June 2025

Noun

Along with the headline-grabbing job culls in the federal government which began earlier this year, a throng of companies have already laid off workers so far in 2025, including Microsoft, UPS, Dell, BP and others. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025

The film raked in what would today equal nearly $2.7 billion and left a legacy of fear that fueled shark culls, trophy hunts, and policies rooted more in panic than science. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French culier, coillir, from Latin colligere to bind together — more at collect

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cull

• dull
• gul
• gull
• lull
• ndebele
• null
• scull
• skull
• stull
• trull
• tulle
• seagull

Kids Definition

cull

1 of 2 verb

ˈkəl 

1

: to select from a group : choose

2

: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal of usually weaker animals

a hunt to cull the growing deer population

culler noun

cull

2 of 2 noun

: something rejected from a group or lot as being not as good as the rest