sifting

sift

S0396600 (sĭft)v. sift·ed, sift·ing, sifts v.tr.1. To put (flour, for example) through a sieve in order to separate the fine from the coarse particles.2. To distinguish as if separating with a sieve: sifted the candidates for the job.3. To apply by scattering through a sieve: sift sugar on a dessert.4. To examine and sort carefully: sift the evidence.v.intr.1. To make use of a sieve.2. To pass through a sieve: a meal that sifts easily.3. To make a careful examination: sifted through back issues of the magazine.

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[Middle English siften, from Old English siftan.]

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sift′er n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sifting - the act of separating grain from chaff; "the winnowing was done by women"winnow, winnowingseparation - sorting one thing from others; "the separation of wheat from chaff"; "the separation of mail by postal zones"