sieve /siv/

1. A utensil with a meshed or perforated bottom for sifting or straining, generally finer than a riddle
2. A refuse-basket (Shakespeare)

To sift

sieveˈ-like adjective

1. Perforated like a sieve
2. (of a memory) extremely unreliable

sieve of Eratosthenes /er-ə-tosˈthen-ēz/ noun (mathematics)

A method of finding prime numbers, by listing all positive integers from 2 up to some given number, leaving the first number, 2, but crossing out all its multiples, leaving the second remaining number, 3, but crossing out all its multiples, and so on

sieve plate noun (botany)

A perforated area by which a sieve tube connects with another

sieve tube noun (botany)

A conducting element in phloem, consisting of thin-walled cells connected end to end with sieve plates between adjacent members

have a head (or memory) like a sieve

To be very forgetful

• overcanopied
• overcanopies
• overcanopy
• overcanopying
• overcapacities
• overcapacity
• overcapitalisation
• overcapitalise
• overcapitalised
• overcapitalises
• overcapitalising
• overcapitalization
• overcapitalize
• overcapitalized
• overcapitalizes
• overcapitalizing
• overcareful
• overcarried
• overcarries
• overcarry
• overcarrying
• overcast
• overcasting
• overcastings
• overcasts