Winnow
verb
To remove less important things from a larger group to make it easier to understand.
The judge needs to winnow the facts of the case from the mass of evidence presented
Often appears as...
- winnow out
- winnow down
verb
To blow a current of air through (grain) to separate the chaff.
In traditional farming, they winnow the wheat to separate it from the chaff
Often appears as...
- winnow grain
- winnow chaff
verb
To remove less important things from a larger group to make it easier to understand.
The judge needs to winnow the facts of the case from the mass of evidence presented
Often appears as...
- winnow out
- winnow down
verb
To blow a current of air through (grain) to separate the chaff.
In traditional farming, they winnow the wheat to separate it from the chaff
Often appears as...
- winnow grain
- winnow chaff
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Conceptual Filtering
Think of 'winnow' as sorting ideas like one would sort objects, keeping only the valuable ones.
She had to winnow her thesis topic from a broad range of ideas.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphorical Use
Used metaphorically to describe reducing a group to its most essential parts.
The author winnowed the themes of his story for clarity.
Pro Tip 3/3Prioritizing Essentials
It often involves prioritizing the most important elements or information.
The committee had to winnow down the list of candidates.
Pro Tip 1/3Conceptual Filtering
Think of 'winnow' as sorting ideas like one would sort objects, keeping only the valuable ones.
She had to winnow her thesis topic from a broad range of ideas.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphorical Use
Used metaphorically to describe reducing a group to its most essential parts.
The author winnowed the themes of his story for clarity.
Pro Tip 3/3Prioritizing Essentials
It often involves prioritizing the most important elements or information.
The committee had to winnow down the list of candidates.
Pro Tip 1/3Conceptual Filtering
Think of 'winnow' as sorting ideas like one would sort objects, keeping only the valuable ones.
She had to winnow her thesis topic from a broad range of ideas.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphorical Use
Used metaphorically to describe reducing a group to its most essential parts.
The author winnowed the themes of his story for clarity.
Pro Tip 3/3Prioritizing Essentials
It often involves prioritizing the most important elements or information.
The committee had to winnow down the list of candidates.
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Video examples
Capturing the Year in an...
remote mountains in the amazon rainforest and all kinds of other stuff and the photographers sent back almost two million images and from these we selected several hundred to publish in the magazine and online and now out of those that were published whitney and sadie are winnowing down the final
Video examples
Life and Death with...
and the the winnowing out the loss of great numbers of offspring in some instances happen was really right from the very beginning I mean barnacle geese in this says for
Video examples
An evolutionary...
those individuals who were not carriers of any genetic protection would have been more likely to die. This winnowing effect together with a strong cultural predilection
Video examples
Capturing the Year in an...
remote mountains in the amazon rainforest and all kinds of other stuff and the photographers sent back almost two million images and from these we selected several hundred to publish in the magazine and online and now out of those that were published whitney and sadie are winnowing down the final
Video examples
Life and Death with...
and the the winnowing out the loss of great numbers of offspring in some instances happen was really right from the very beginning I mean barnacle geese in this says for
Video examples
An evolutionary...
those individuals who were not carriers of any genetic protection would have been more likely to die. This winnowing effect together with a strong cultural predilection
Example 1 of 3
Quote examples
Jean Froissart
French Historian
This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the fields of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind.
Quote examples
Om Malik
Indian Writer
It is becoming harder for us to stay on top of the onslaught - e-mails, messages, appointments, alerts. Augmented intelligence offers the possibility of winnowing an increasing number of inputs and options in a way that humans can't manage without a helping hand.
Quote examples
Warren Ellis
British Author
I was originally going to train as a journalist, passing a series of exams that winnowed ten thousand applicants down to one hundred places on a National Union of Journalists course.
Quote examples
Huston Smith
American Theologian
When the scientific method came into being, it gave us a new window on the truth; namely, a method by laboratory-controlled experiments to winnow true hypotheses from false ones.
Quote examples
Carl Sagan
American Scientist
Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense.
Quote examples
Jean Froissart
French Historian
This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the fields of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind.
Quote examples
Om Malik
Indian Writer
It is becoming harder for us to stay on top of the onslaught - e-mails, messages, appointments, alerts. Augmented intelligence offers the possibility of winnowing an increasing number of inputs and options in a way that humans can't manage without a helping hand.
Quote examples
Warren Ellis
British Author
I was originally going to train as a journalist, passing a series of exams that winnowed ten thousand applicants down to one hundred places on a National Union of Journalists course.
Quote examples
Huston Smith
American Theologian
When the scientific method came into being, it gave us a new window on the truth; namely, a method by laboratory-controlled experiments to winnow true hypotheses from false ones.
Quote examples
Carl Sagan
American Scientist
Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense.
Example 1 of 5
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