sieve

1 of 2

noun

ˈsiv 

: a device with meshes or perforations through which finer particles of a mixture (as of ashes, flour, or sand) of various sizes may be passed to separate them from coarser ones, through which the liquid may be drained from liquid-containing material, or through which soft materials may be forced for reduction to fine particles

sieve

2 of 2

verb

sieved; sieving

: sift

Examples of sieve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Horns have some talent, but have been a sieve on defense over the last few games, including a gut punch of a 101-98 overtime loss at home to Mississippi State in the conference opener. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean, nonreactive mixing bowl. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025

Verb

The light here is dazzling, even more so when sieved through lime and olive leaves and wooden canopies to dance on walls, terracotta tables, and guests’ faces. —Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

Traitors is about the gullible and the skeptical working together to sieve the fraudulent from the truthful, an amalgamated nightmare of village idiots locking themselves in the stocks and pelting each other with rotten fruit. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sive, from Old English sife; akin to Old High German sib sieve

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sieve

• have a memory/mind like a sieve
• molecular sieve
• sieve of Eratosthenes
• sieve plate
• sieve tube

Rhymes for sieve

• give
• corroborative
• determinative
• forgive
• ogive
• outlive
• relive
• germinative
• transformative
• resistive

Kids Definition

sieve

1 of 2 noun

ˈsiv 

: a device with meshes or holes to separate finer particles from coarser ones or solids from liquids

sieve

2 of 2 verb

sieved; sieving

: to put through a sieve : sift

sieve the tomatoes to remove the seeds