glean

verb

gleaned; gleaning; gleans

intransitive verb

1
: to gather grain or other produce left by reapers
2
: to gather information or material bit by bit

transitive verb

1
a
: to pick up after a reaper
b
: to strip of the leavings of reapers
glean a field
2
a
: to gather (something, such as information) bit by bit
can glean secrets from his hard drive
b
: to pick over in search of relevant material
gleaning old files for information
3
: find out
The police used old-fashioned detective work to glean his whereabouts.
gleanable adjective
gleaner noun

Did you know?

The Grainy History of Glean

Glean comes from Middle English glenen, which traces to Anglo-French glener, meaning "to glean." The French borrowed their word from Late Latin glennare, which also means "to glean" and is itself of Celtic origin. Both the grain-gathering sense and the collecting-bit-by-bit senses of English's glean date back at least to the 14th century. Over the years, and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, glean has also come to be used frequently with the meaning "to find out, learn, ascertain." This sense has been criticized by folks who think glean should always imply the drudgery involved in the literal grain-gathering sense, but it is well established and perfectly valid.

Examples of glean in a Sentence

She gleaned her data from various studies. He has a collection of antique tools gleaned from flea markets and garage sales. They spent days gleaning the files for information. They spent hours gleaning in the wheat fields. gleaning stray ears of corn
Recent Examples on the Web An extra step incubated each target with T-cells gleaned from each patient’s blood. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 But the institute has stayed true to Redford’s initial vision, as a place where promising young artists can hone their craft amid the spectacular natural setting, gleaning wisdom from such regular advisers as actor Ed Harris, actress and director Joan Darling and screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 After that, look for a series of recipes gleaned from some of our top restaurants, tested and curated by Free Press food writer Susan Selasky. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Although scientists can’t tell exactly what an animal has eaten from analyzing its teeth, Burg Mayer’s team was able to glean clues about the sharks’ diets and rankings as predators by comparing different forms of nitrogen, called isotopes, between the two dental sets. Sarah Sloat, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Only time will tell how this saga unfolds and what lessons can be gleaned from it to inform future policy decisions and safeguard against similar threats to global stability and security. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Winch Design was responsible for the interiors, which gleaned inspiration from the owners’ extensive car collection; the Cadillac leather seats and curved desk are a nod to luxurious car seats and dashboards. Gemma Harris, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 The Times subscribed to several accounts to glean what content is being offered and how much money is being made. Michael H. Keller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Sénéchal has gleaned a lot from how people have reacted to the fight. Esther Zuckerman, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glenen, from Anglo-French glener, from Late Latin glennare, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish doglenn he selects

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glean was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near glean

Cite this Entry

“Glean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glean. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

glean

verb
1
: to gather from a field or vineyard what has been left (as by reapers)
2
: to gather little by little
glean knowledge from books
gleaner noun

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