winnow

verb win·now \ ˈwi-(ˌ)nō \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: winnow in a Sentence

Editor's Note: winnow Has Old English Roots

winnowed; winnowing; winnows

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

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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

Nominees — there were more than 1,600 this year — then submit applications, and are winnowed to semi-finalists by a team of judges.

— mike morris, San Antonio Express-News, "2 San Antonio teachers win H-E-B Excellence in Education awards," 6 May 2018
Nominees — there were more than 1,600 this year — then submit applications and are winnowed to semi-finalists by a team of judges.

— mike morris, Houston Chronicle, "Houston-area educators score big in H-E-B awards," 6 May 2018
Ultimately the honorees were winnowed down by a multicultural committee that included Whitaker, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Kwan and Janice Min, media consultant at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and THR parent company Valence Media.

— rebecca sun, Billboard, "Bruno Mars, Kehlani & More Selected to Inaugural A100 List of Influential Asian Americans," 1 May 2018
The field is winnowed down over the course of several weeks before a single champion is left standing.

— jason gay, WSJ, "‘Dancing With the Stars’ Twirls to the Jocks," 29 Apr. 2018
That means easing up on the brutal process known as value engineering, when details are winnowed out to keep the budget lean.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "This Time, a Much More Promising Attempt to Fix the Frick," 13 Apr. 2018
But even 30 years of upheaval can get unwieldy, so Krist winnows the historical record even further.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "In ‘The Mirage Factory,’ a Thriving Los Angeles Born From Humble Beginnings," 23 May 2018
The Boise State search committee, which included State Board members as well as university and community leaders, winnowed the original 53 applicants to 12 semifinalists, and then to five finalists, each of whom visited Boise in late April.

— dana oland and christina lords, idahostatesman, "Search extended to find replacement for Boise State president | Idaho Statesman," 17 May 2018
Over the past year, 18 right whales have been found dead, winnowing the population to about 430.

— david abel, BostonGlobe.com, "After year of record deaths, right whales produce no new calves, which could be ‘catastrophic’," 26 Feb. 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.

winnow Has Old English Roots

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.

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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