cull

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to remove something that has been rejected

   cull the sick members of the herd

2. 2
   verb

   To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).

   1984, cover star: JOE DALLESANDRO culled from Andy Warhol's FLESH — anonymous; sleeve notes from The Smiths' eponymous album

3. 3
   verb

   To gather, collect.

   [T]he yellowbanded bees, / Through half-open lattices / Coming in the scented breeze, / Fed thee, a child, lying alone, / With whitest honey in fairy gardens culled— […]

4. 4
   verb

   To selectively not render or process certain objects, such as polygons.

   back-face culling

5. 5
   noun

   An organized killing of selected animals.

   It seemed that the sun shone and all was right in our Blakean islands until the government began to set in motion its promised cull of badgers in an effort to control bovine TB. Salvation for brock came in the form of an online petition started by Queen guitarist Brian May, the rising costs of the programme and the weather.

6. 6
   noun

   A fool, gullible person; a dupe.

   Follow but my counsel, and I will show you a way to empty the pocket of a queer cull without any danger of the nubbing cheat.

7. 7
   noun

   A man or boy.

   But you don't want no dealings with that cull. A darker villain I never did see.

8. 8
   noun

   the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality

Etymology

From Middle English cullen, cuilen, coilen, from Old French cuillir (“collect, gather, select”), from Latin colligō (“gather together”). Doublet of coil.