cull

verb

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\ ˈkəl

culled; culling; culls

Definition of cull

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

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

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 last tech giant to cull its ranks during a major downturn, Microsoft, is doing the opposite during this turbulent period. — New York Times, 20 May 2022 But rather than cull deforestation from the industry, investigators say, the reforms pushed it further out of sight. — Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022 Management can be quick to set up a Darwinian process to cull staff, while being slow to remove processes and systems that are hampering staff from doing what is needed. — Steve Denning, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021 Richmond Heights, as of now, is expected to cull up to 50 deer in starting a five-year culling program. — cleveland, 8 Oct. 2021 Make sure to eat something with lionfish in it; this invasive species is quickly becoming traditional cuisine in an attempt to cull it from the Caribbean. — Ali Wunderman, Forbes, 8 June 2022 On the iOS side, indie game developers have taken to Twitter and other platforms to criticize Apple's new effort to cull older apps. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2022 Moline's farm had to cull tens of thousands of turkeys after the flu got into one of his barns. — CBS News, 17 May 2022 Moline's farm had to cull tens of thousands of turkeys after the flu got into one of his barns. — David Klepper, ajc, 17 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In Rome, the cull that began in late June is soon set to shift into high gear. — Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 17 July 2022 The cull removed 47 deer at Van Ooyen Whitetails in Antigo. — Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 18 June 2022 France’s southwestern foie gras region also faced a mass cull for a second year and Polish chicken farms suffered cases. — Megan Durisin, Jen Skerritt, Michael Hirtzer, Anchorage Daily News, 21 May 2022 The cull proved hugely beneficial for trees and vegetation. — New York Times, 5 May 2022 In 1975, around 26 young elephants were introduced to the park from a cull in southern Rwanda. — Lavanya Sunkara, Forbes, 19 May 2022 The cull was good for peatlands, too, but that was just a happy byproduct. — New York Times, 5 May 2022 Last week’s cull was the second time Grand Teton used aerial operations to reduce mountain goat numbers. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Mar. 2022 The deer cull will take place in the Environmental Study Area (ESA), a 300-acre forested region on campus east of the Rouge River, from roughly 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Five sessions are scheduled for the next two weekends and one weekday. — Elissa Welle, Detroit Free Press, 27 Feb. 2022 See More

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.