winnows

Verb

winnow (third-person singular simple present winnows, present participle winnowing, simple past and past participle winnowed)

1. (transitive, literal) To subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff.
   • By Jacob Behel, of Mifflintown, Pa.,—Improvement in winnowing Machines, Patented August 21, 1847.1847, editorial staff, “Winnowing Machines”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 68

   Synonyms:

   wind

2. (figuratively, transitive) To separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values.
   • They winnowed the field to twelve.

   Synonyms:

   comb out

3. (literary, transitive) To blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.
   • The light snow lay on the narrow and winding path before them, pure as if just fresh winnowed by the wind.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 206
4. (dated, intransitive, literary) To move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.

See all 6 meanings of winnow