cull

verb

\ ˈkəl

culled; culling; culls

Definition of cull

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

cull

noun

Definition of cull (Entry 2 of 2)

: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless … how to separate good-looking pecans from culls. — The Washington Post

Other Words from cull Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cull

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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

The latest jewelry collection from DLC Brooklyn was inspired by the relationship between music and the creative process, as culled from designer Susan Domelsmith's experience as a member of the band Open Ocean. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Melodic Accessories: DLC Brooklyn," 12 Aug. 2010 The data culled for the study came from 31 different satellites between 1985 to 2018 making approximately 4 billion observations. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The World's Waves Are Getting Bigger, Scientists Say," 26 Apr. 2019 The Chicago startup is one of several looking to use industrial data culled from sensors embedded in machines like wind turbines and locomotives. — Ted Mann, WSJ, "Upstart Poaches GE Executives as It Chases Predix Customers," 8 Aug. 2018 The group's data, culled from corporate news releases, media reports, analysts and its own research, show that only 6.3 million workers are getting a one-time bonus or pay hike tied to the cuts. — Adam Shell, USA TODAY, "Tax cut savings flow to company stockholders, trickle to hourly workers," 13 Apr. 2018 But your ultimate ambition is to take data culled from your customers’ DNA and use it to find cures and develop drugs. — Interview By Dan Amira, New York Times, "Anne Wojcicki Wants to Be Healthy at 100," 4 Apr. 2018 The collection of 20 large-scale photographs is notable for the superimposed finger prints on top of images that Soren has culled from breaking news. — Adam Rathe, Town & Country, "Why Tabitha Soren Thinks Failure is a Relief," 9 Apr. 2019 Just an hour’s drive from New York City or a short flight from Boston, Crotonville, N.Y., is the home of GE’s management academy, famed for culling and cultivating a cadre of leaders the company saw as its most valuable product. — Thomas Gryta And Ted Mann, WSJ, "GE Powered the American Century—Then It Burned Out," 14 Dec. 2018 Others are turning primaries into evermore crowded races, to the frustration of party leaders who would like to cull the fields and save resources for the general election. — Susan Chira, New York Times, "Stacey Abrams Didn’t Play It Safe. Neither Do These Female Candidates.," 29 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

As revealed at the end of Infinity War, Captain Marvel represents Nick Fury’s ace in the hole and the last hope against Thanos and his universe-shattering cull. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Captain Marvel and the future of the Avengers, explained," 18 Sep. 2018 While the government is pushing for softer measures such as sterilization for the pigs and education for humans who feed them, others say the solution is a full-scale cull of the swine. — Alice Fung, The Seattle Times, "In year of the pig, Hong Kong has had enough of wild ones," 6 Feb. 2019 The massive cull, which spanned 420 square miles, began in 2011. — James Rogers, Fox News, "Rat attack: World's largest rodent cull clears predators from Atlantic island," 9 May 2018 Overwhelmed by the numbers and dismayed by the futility of the cull, Berlin wildlife commissioner Derk Ehlert instead turned to the private sector. — Fox News, "Can't beat 'em? Eat 'em! Berlin captures, cooks crayfish," 11 June 2018 Overwhelmed by the numbers and dismayed by the futility and waste of the crayfish cull, Berlin wildlife commissioner Derk Ehlert instead turned to the private sector. — Washington Post, "Can’t beat ‘em? Eat ‘em! Berlin captures, cooks crayfish," 11 June 2018 The former want culls of the wolves; the latter emphasise better protection for livestock and resettlement of problematic packs. — The Economist, "A growing wolf population presents German politicians with a conundrum," 12 May 2018 But some ecologists suggest that the culls are damaging, and that the population estimates are over-optimistic. — The Economist, "The culling of kangaroos divides Australia," 15 Mar. 2018 Previous Snap culls, which took place last year and earlier this year, were smaller than that now being reported, measuring a dozen or two apiece. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Snap Stock Slips as Snapchat Maker Prepares For a Fresh Round of Job Cuts," 8 Mar. 2018

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