winnow

verb win·now \ ˈwi-(ˌ)nō \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

transitive verb

1 a (1) : to remove (something, such as chaff) by a current of air

(2) : to get rid of (something undesirable or unwanted) : remove —often used with out

winnow out certain inaccuracies
—Stanley Walker

b (1) : separate, sift

an old hand at winnowing what is true and significant
—Oscar Lewis

(2) : select

2 a : to treat (something, such as grain) by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter is eliminated

b : to free of unwanted or inferior elements : pare

c : narrow, reduce

winnowed the field to four contenders

3 : to blow on : fan

the wind winnowing his thin white hair
—Time

intransitive verb

1 : to separate chaff from grain by fanning

2 : to separate desirable and undesirable elements

—

winnower

play \ˈwi-nə-wər\ noun

See winnow defined for English-language learners

See winnow defined for kids

winnow was our Word of the Day on 03/27/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

The least qualified applicants were winnowed out of the initial pool.
Harvesters winnowed the chaff from the wheat.

Recent Examples of winnow from the Web

Over hours of play, a pool of more than 50 players was slowly winnowed down to a final table of seven, and the last hands were live streamed for fans around the world to watch.

— alex cramer, The Hollywood Reporter, "Autism Speaks Poker Tournament Turns Pro Athletes Into Card Sharps," 9 Apr. 2018
The crowded field of candidates won’t be winnowed before then.

— ella nilsen, Vox, "Vox Sentences: Welcome to the jungle ... primary," 7 Apr. 2018
The numbers of teams competing have been winnowed from more than 100 from 13 countries, to 10 from the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands and China, according to officials working on the competition.

— kris maher, WSJ, "Researchers Race to Thwart Toxic Algae Outbreaks," 7 Apr. 2018
The president has steadily winnowed free-trade advocates from the ranks of his cabinet, and these measures are unlikely to draw the wall of opposition from Republicans that the metal tariffs did.

— mark landler and jim tankersley, New York Times, "Trump Hits China With Stiff Trade Measures," 22 Mar. 2018
Readers have already winnowed the field from the original 32 to today’s Elite Eight, with upsets — farewell, Stone Delicious!

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Elite Eight — will your favorite IPA hop into the Final Four?," 22 Mar. 2018
Bridges recruited four of the best piano teachers in Charlotte — one of them, Dzidra Reimanis, 90, still teaches there — and winnowed an initial 20 students from more than 150 applicants.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "His church had 15 idle pianos. So he started a music school for poor kids. | Charlotte Observer," 21 Mar. 2018
The New York Fed began its search for a new president last fall and by mid-March had winnowed its pool down to three finalists, according to people familiar with the matter.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "San Francisco Fed’s John Williams Is Front Runner to Serve as New York Fed President," 24 Mar. 2018
Beller and his colleagues then divided their mud and sewage samples into successive fractions, winnowing out those that showed no signs of the hydrocarbon.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "In 1986, scientists found fuel-producing bacteria at the bottom of a Swiss lake. Now, they know how it works," 21 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of winnow

Middle English winewen, from Old English windwian to fan, winnow; akin to Old High German wintōn to fan, Latin vannus winnowing fan, ventus wind — more at wind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

winnow

noun

1 : a device for winnowing

2 a : the action of winnowing

b : a motion resembling that of winnowing

Recent Examples of winnow from the Web

That amount of freedom kind of winnows and expands throughout the piece.

— seth colter walls, New York Times, "A Long-Lost Score, Rebuilt With the Help of a Photo," 19 Jan. 2018
And by splintering the vote in Ohio and Florida, Mr. Cruz also risks handing Mr. Trump advantages in momentum and delegates that could be unstoppable, no matter how much the field winnows.

— jonathan martin, New York Times, "Democratic Debate: Analysis," 5 Mar. 2016

First Known Use of winnow

1580

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

WINNOW Defined for English Language Learners

winnow

verb

: to remove (people or things that are less important, desirable, etc.) from a larger group or list : to make (a list of possible choices) smaller by removing the less desirable choices
: to remove (the unwanted coverings of seeds) from grain by throwing the grain up in the air and letting the wind blow the unwanted parts away

WINNOW Defined for Kids

winnow

verb win·now \ ˈwi-nō \

winnowed; winnowing

1 : to remove (as waste from grain) by a current of air

2 : to sort or separate from a larger group

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winnow

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winnow was our Word of the Day on 03/27/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of winnow

winnow

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WINNOW Defined for English Language Learners

winnow

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winnower

winnow was our Word of the Day on 03/27/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of winnow

winnow

Recent Examples of winnow from the Web

First Known Use of winnow

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

WINNOW Defined for English Language Learners

winnow

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