winnow

UK: /ˈwɪnəʊ/ US: /ˈwɪnoʊ/ ,(win′ō)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

win•now /ˈwɪnoʊ/   v. [~ + object]

1. Animal Husbandry to free (grain) of chaff with a forced current of air.
2. to separate or distinguish (something valuable from something worthless):
   to winnow fact from fiction.

win•now•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

win•now  (win′ō), v.t. 

1. to free (grain) from the lighter particles of chaff, dirt, etc., esp. by throwing it into the air and allowing the wind or a forced current of air to blow away impurities.
2. to drive or blow (chaff, dirt, etc.) away by fanning.
3. to blow upon;
   fan.
4. to subject to some process of separating or distinguishing;
   analyze critically;
   sift:
   to winnow a mass of statements.
5. to separate or distinguish (valuable from worthless parts) (sometimes fol. by out):
   to winnow falsehood from truth.
6. to pursue (a course) with flapping wings in flying.
7. to fan or stir (the air) as with the wings in flying.

v.i. 

8. Agriculture to free grain from chaff by wind or driven air.
9. Birds to fly with flapping wings;
   flutter.

n. 

10. Agriculture a device or contrivance used for winnowing.
11. Agriculture an act of winnowing.

• Middle English win(d)wen (verb, verbal), Old English windwian, derivative of wind wind¹ bef. 900

win′now•er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

winnow / ˈwɪnəʊ/ verb

1. to separate (grain) from (chaff) by means of a wind or current of air
2. (transitive) to examine in order to select the desirable elements
3. (transitive) to blow upon; fan

noun

1. a device for winnowing
2. the act or process of winnowing

Etymology: Old English windwian; related to Old High German wintōn, Gothic diswinthjan, Latin ventilāre. See wind¹