glean

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɡlin/ UK /ɡliːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #43598

Meanings

1

verb
To gather information or knowledge slowly, bit by bit and often with effort.

We gleaned a few useful facts from the old report.
2

verb
To gather grain or other crops left in a field after the harvest.

The poor were allowed to glean the wheat left in the fields.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to gather information or... extract learn

2 verb · to gather grain or other... lease

Word family

Forms gleanedgleaninggleans

Derived forms gleanablegleanedgleanergleaningungleaned

Etymology

The verb is derived from Late Middle English glenen (“to gather (heads of grain left by reapers), glean; to gather (things) together, collect”), from Old French glener, glainer (modern French glaner (“to gather, glean”)), from Late Latin glen(n)are, the present active infinitive of glen(n)ō (“to make a collection”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *glanos (“clean; clear”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleh₁- (“to glow, shine; to be glowing or shining”). The noun is derived from Late Middle English glene (“collection of heads of grain ga…

glenen Middle English glener Old French glenare la-lat *glanos Proto-Celtic *ǵʰleh₁- Proto-Indo-European glene Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# glean

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɡlin/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡliːn/
**Frequency rank:** 43598

## Meanings
1. To gather information or knowledge slowly, bit by bit and often with effort.
2. To gather grain or other crops left in a field after the harvest.

## Examples
- We gleaned a few useful facts from the old report.
- The poor were allowed to glean the wheat left in the fields.

## Derived Forms
- gleanable
- gleaned
- gleaner
- gleaning
- ungleaned

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: glenen
- Root: glener
- Root: glenare
- Root: *glanos
- Root: *ǵʰleh₁-
- Root: glene

## Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English glenen (“to gather (heads of grain left by reapers), glean; to gather (things) together, collect”), from Old French glener, glainer (modern French glaner (“to gather, glean”)), from Late Latin glen(n)are, the present active infinitive of glen(n)ō (“to make a collection”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *glanos (“clean; clear”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleh₁- (“to glow, shine; to be glowing or shining”). The noun is derived from Late Middle English glene (“collection of heads of grain ga…

## AI Etymology
For glean, the verb is derived from Late Middle English glenen (“to gather (heads of grain left by reapers), glean; to gather (things) together, collect”), from Old French glener, glainer (modern French glaner (“to gather, glean”)), from Late Latin glen(n)are, the present active infinitive of glen(n)ō (“to make a collection”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *glanos (“clean; clear”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleh₁- (“to glow, shine; to be glowing or shining”). In present-day use, it can mean to gather information or knowledge slowly, bit by bit and often with effort, or to gather grain or other crops left in a field after the harvest. Derived formations include gleanable, gleaned, gleaner, gleaning, and ungleaned.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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