Dictionary definition · winnow
noun
- the act of separating grain from chaff"the winnowing was done by women"
verb
- separate the chaff from grain by using air currents"She stood there winnowing grain all day in the field"
- blow on"The wind was winnowing her hair"
- select desirable parts from a group or list"cull out the interesting letters from the poet's correspondence"
- blow away or off with a current of air"winnow chaff"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).