winnow Definition
- 1blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff
- 2find or identify (valuable or useful part of something)
Using winnow: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "winnow" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The farmer used a fan to winnow the wheat.
Example
The detective had to winnow through the evidence to find the culprit.
Example
She managed to winnow out the important details from the irrelevant ones.
Example
The company will winnow down the candidates to the top three.
winnow Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with winnow
Example
We need to winnow down the list of potential candidates for the job.
Example
It took her a while to winnow out the truth from all the lies.
Example
She used a winnowing basket to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Origins of winnow
from Old English 'windwian', meaning 'to fan, winnow'
Summary: winnow in Brief
'Winnow' [ˈwɪnəʊ] refers to the process of separating valuable or useful parts from unwanted or unnecessary ones. It can be applied to physical objects like grain or abstract concepts like evidence. Examples include 'The farmer used a fan to winnow the wheat.' and 'The company will winnow down the candidates to the top three.' 'Winnow' can also be used in phrases like 'winnow down,' meaning to reduce the number of options, and 'winnow out,' meaning to separate or remove what is unwanted.