separate the grain from the chaff; separate the good from the bad; blow through; scatter; blow over; reduce, narrow; sift through, select the desirable parts
act of winnowing; device for winnowing grain
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Winnow Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
(v. i.)
To separate chaff from grain.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. AboutTo separate chaff from grain.
winnow
\win"now\ (?), v. i. to separate chaff from grain. winnow not with every wind. v. 9.
winnow
n : the act of separating grain from chaff; "the winnowing was done by women" [syn: winnowing, sifting]
v
1. separate from chaff; of grain [syn: fan]
2. blow on; "the wind was winnowing her hair"
3. separate wheat from chaff; "she stood there winnowing all day in the field"
4. treat by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter is eliminated, as of grain
5. remove by a current of air, as of chaff
winnow
corn was winnowed,
1. by being thrown up by a shovel against the wind. as a rule this was done in the evening or during the night, when the west wind from the sea was blowing, which was a moderate breeze and fitted for the purpose. the north wind was too strong, and the east wind came in gusts.
2. by the use of a fan or van, by which the chaff was blown away (ruth 3:2; isa. 30:24; jer. 4:11, 12; matt. 3:12).
Noun
1. the act of separating grain from chaff; "the winnowing was done by women"
(synonym) winnowing, sifting
(hypernym) separation
(derivation) fan
Verb
1. separate from chaff; "She stood there winnowing grain all day in the field"
(synonym) fan
(hypernym) sift, sieve, strain
(derivation) winnowing, sifting
2. blow on; "The wind was winnowing her hair"
(hypernym) fan
3. treat by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter is eliminated; "winnow grain"
(hypernym) process, treat
4. remove by a current of air; "winnow chaff"
(hypernym) remove, take, take away, withdraw
Winnow Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
Wind winnowing is an agricultural method developed by ancient cultures for separating grain from chaff. It is also used to remove weevils or other pests from stored grain. Threshing, the separation of grain or seeds from the husks and straw, is the step in the chaff-removal process that comes before winnowing. "Winnowing the chaff" is a common expression.
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Winnow Definition from Religion & Spirituality Dictionaries & Glossaries
Corn was winnowed, (1.) By being thrown up by a shovel against the wind. As a rule this was done in the evening or during the night, when the west wind from the sea was blowing, which was a moderate breeze and fitted for the purpose. The north wind was too strong, and the east wind came in gusts. (2.) By the use of a fan or van, by which the chaff was blown away (Ruth 3:2; Isa. 30:24; Jer. 4:11, 12; Matt. 3:12).
