[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

winnow \win"now\, v. i.
   to separate chaff from grain.
   1913 webster

         winnow not with every wind.              --ecclus. v.
                                                  9.
   1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

winnow \win"now\ wi^n"n-o, v. t. imp.  p. p. winnowed
   wi^n"n-od; p. pr.  vb. n. winnowing. oe. windewen,
   winewen, as. windwian; akin to goth. winpjan in comp.,
   winpi-skauro a fan, l. ventilare to fan, to winnow; cf. l.
   wannus a fan for winnowing, g. wanne, ohg. wanna. root131.
   see wind moving air, and cf. fan., n., ventilate.
   1913 webster
   1. to separate, and drive off, the chaff from by means of
      wind; to fan; as, to winnow grain.
      1913 webster

            ho winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing floor.
                                                  --ruth. iii.
                                                  2.
      1913 webster

   2. to sift, as for the purpose of separating falsehood from
      truth; to separate, as bad from good.
      1913 webster

            winnow well this thought, and you shall find
            this light as chaff that flies before the wind.
                                                  --dryden.
      1913 webster

   3. to beat with wings, or as with wings.poetic
      1913 webster

            now on the polar winds; then with quick fan
            winnows the buxom air.                --milton.
      1913 webster
see also:
winnowed winnowing wind fan ventilate 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

winnow
     n : the act of separating grain from chaff; "the winnowing was
         done by women" syn: winnowing, sifting
     v 1: separate from chaff; "she stood there winnowing grain all
          day in the field" syn: fan
     2: blow on; "the wind was winnowing her hair"
     3: treat by exposure to a current of air so that waste matter
        is eliminated; "winnow grain"
     4: remove by a current of air; "winnow chaff"
see also:
winnowing sifting fan 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

123 moby thesaurus words for "winnow":
   aerate, air, air out, air-condition, air-cool, airify, analyze,
   appraise, assess, bolt, catalog, categorize, choose out, clarifier,
   clarify, class, classify, clear, colander, comb, contradistinguish,
   cordon, cordon off, cradle, cribble, cross-ventilate, cull,
   cull out, decide between, decrassify, demarcate, demark, depurate,
   differentiate, discriminate, distill, distinguish, divide,
   draw the line, edulcorate, elute, essentialize, evaluate, excerpt,
   extract, factor, fan, filter, filtrate, freshen, gauge, ghettoize,
   gin, glean, group, handpick, identify, insulate, isolate,
   keep apart, keep aside, lay aside, leach, lixiviate, lixiviator,
   make a selection, mark the interface, oxygenate, oxygenize,
   percolate, percolator, pick, pick out, purifier, purify, put aside,
   quarantine, rectify, refine, refiner, refinery, refresh, riddle,
   rocker, ruffle, screen, screen out, seclude, segregate, select,
   separate, set a limit, set apart, set aside, set off, sever,
   severalize, sieve, sieve out, sift, sift out, sifter, single out,
   sort, sort out, spiritualize, split hairs, strain, strainer,
   subdivide, sublimate, sublime, subtilize, thrash, thrash out,
   thresh, try, ventilate, weigh, wind, winnowing basket,
   winnowing fan, winnowing machine

[5] : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

winnow
   corn was winnowed, 1. by being thrown up by a shovel against
   the wind. as a rule this was done in the evening or during the
   night, when the west wind from the sea was blowing, which was a
   moderate breeze and fitted for the purpose. the north wind was
   too strong, and the east wind came in gusts. 2. by the use of
   a fan or van, by which the chaff was blown away ruth 3:2; isa.
   30:24; jer. 4:11, 12; matt. 3:12.
   

Winnow >> W Words
Winnow, definition of term: Winnow
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