sift

 
Pronunciation: /sɪft/

verb

[with object]
  • 1put (a fine or loose substance) through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles: sift the flour into a large bowl
  • cause to flow or pass as through a sieve: Miranda sifted the warm sand through her fingers
  • [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of snow, ash, etc.) descend lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve: ash began to sift down round them
  • 2examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important: until we sift the evidence ourselves, we can’t comment objectively [no object]: the fourth stage involves sifting through the data and evaluating it
  • (sift something out) separate something, especially something to be discarded, from something else: he asked for streamlined procedures to sift out frivolous applications

noun

[usually in singular]
  • an act of sifting something, especially so as to isolate that which is most important: a careful archaeological sift must be made through the debris
  • an amount of sifted material: the floor was dusted with a fine sift of flour

Derivatives

sifted

adjective

sifter

noun

sifting

noun

Origin:

Old English siftan, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch ziften, also to sieve