Winnow

WORD OF THE DAY

winnow / verb / WIN-oh

Definition
1a: to remove (something, such as chaff) by a current of air
1b: to get rid of (something undesirable or unwanted)
1c: remove —often used with out
1d: separate, sift
2a: select
2b: to treat (something, such as grain) by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter is eliminated
2c: to free of unwanted or inferior elements
2d: pare, narrow, reduce
3: to blow on, fan
4: to separate chaff from grain by fanning
5: to separate desirable and undesirable elements

Examples
"Cast members apply for the positions. The field is winnowed down through interviews until the final two are selected."
— Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando (Florida) Sentinel, 30 June 2021

Newton will hold a citywide Sept. 14 primary to winnow down a three-way race for the next mayor ahead of the city’s municipal election in November, as Ruthanne Fuller campaigns for a second four-year term amid challenges by and Albert Cecchinelli.
— BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2021

Trump and other Cheney critics worry that a splintered field gives her a clear shot at winning the nomination and reelection, and are looking for a way to winnow the field.
— Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2021

Did You Know?
Beginning as windwian in Old English, winnow first referred to the removal of chaff from grain by a current of air.
This use was soon extended to describe the removal of anything undesirable or unwanted (a current example of this sense would be "winnowing out sensitive material").
People then began using the word for the selection of the most desirable elements (as in "winnowing out the qualified applicants").
The association of winnow with the movement of air also led to the meanings "to brandish" and "to beat with or as if with wings," but those uses are now rare.
The last meanings blew in around the beginning of the 19th century: they are "to blow on" and "to blow in gusts."