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 of cull

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

The Kardashian-Jenners in 2019 launched Kardashian Kloset, an online resale platform selling designer clothes culled from the family’s extravagant closets. —Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

The creative documentary filmmaker, a former Berkeley resident, culls together photos, home movies, songs and more to relate writer Andri Snær Magnason’s grieving process over the loss of relatives and a once-majestic glacier that is no more due to climate change. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026

Noun

James said if dingoes are ultimately found to be responsible, Piper would not have supported a cull. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026

The city of Farmington Hills is making plans for a deer management cull program during 2026. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

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