winnow

verb

win·now | \ ˈwi-(ˌ)nō

winnowed; winnowing; winnows

Definition of winnow

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(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

2a : 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

winnow

noun

Definition of winnow (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a device for winnowing

2a : the action of winnowing

b : a motion resembling that of winnowing

Other Words from winnow Winnow Has Old English Roots More Example Sentences Learn More about winnow

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Winnow Has Old English Roots

Verb

Beginning as windwian in Old English, winnow first referred to the removal of chaff from grain by a current of air. This use was soon extended to describe the removal of anything undesirable or unwanted (a current example of this sense would be "winnowing out outdated information"). People then began using the word for the selection of the most desirable elements (as in "winnowing out the true statements from the lies"). The association of winnow with the movement of air led to the meaning "to beat with or as if with wings," but that use is rare enough that it is found only in Merriam-Webster Unabridged. The word's last meaning ("to blow on or fan") blew in at the turn of the 19th century.

Examples of winnow in a Sentence

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For her first pregnancy, the model and TV host went through IVF to generate 20 embryos, which were eventually winnowed down to three. — Jancee Dunn, Vogue, "How California Became the World’s Fertility Treatment Destination," 13 Mar. 2019 In addition, four other finalists — winnowed from a field of 50 semifinalists — are set to receive $10,000 each in art-program funding. — Adam Tschorn, latimes.com, "Tennessee high school's customized kicks land $75,000 in arts funding from Vans," 22 May 2018 Then the public joined in and after more than 30,000 online votes, the list was winnowed to four finalists: Maryse Condé, Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Kim Thúy. — Brenda Cronin, WSJ, "With No Nobel Prize in Literature This Year, Another Award Steps In," 1 Oct. 2018 Amazon’s committee of executives winnowed the field to 20 finalists in January. — Matt Day, The Seattle Times, "Amazon selects New York, Northern Virginia, for HQ2 expansion, reports say," 13 Nov. 2018 Airbus in recent years has tried to winnow its management ranks. — Robert Wall, WSJ, "Airbus Picks Future Chief Executive," 8 Oct. 2018 To better her odds, Ms. Nixon would need to winnow Mr. Cuomo’s strong support among black voters, who turned out in disproportionately large numbers in the 2014 primary, according to exit polls. — New York Times, "Black Voters Have More Leverage in This Governor’s Race. They Mean to Use It.," 13 June 2018 The Allure of Immortality By Lyn Millner (2015) 2Here’s how a bizarre cult winnowed its way into an otherwise conservative Florida community in the late 1800s. — Jeff Guinn, WSJ, "Five Best: Jeff Guinn on Books About Cults," 23 Aug. 2018 Attorneys argued that without an election to winnow the field of candidates in the first year in decades that all judicial elections are partisan, the party would not have a way to let voters know its candidate of choice on the November ballot. — Jim Morrill And Anne Blythe, charlotteobserver, "How this GOP candidate could help Democrats keep control of the NC Supreme Court," 4 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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

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.

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Last Updated

17 Apr 2019

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The first known use of winnow was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for winnow

winnow

verb

English Language Learners Definition of winnow

: 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

See the full definition for winnow in the English Language Learners Dictionary

winnow

verb

win·now | \ ˈwi-nō

winnowed; winnowing