sieve

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a utensil with a mesh or perforated bottom used to separate fine particles from coarse ones

   She shook the flour through a sieve to remove the remaining lumps.

2. 2
   verb

   to pass a substance through a sieve in order to separate or grade its particles

   The workers sieve the dry soil before examining it for small artifacts.

3. 3
   verb

   to examine or filter a large amount of material carefully

   Investigators must sieve the reports for details that can be independently verified.

From Middle English sive or syfe, from Old English sife, related to Dutch zeef and German Sieb. The Germanic word is commonly traced to an Indo-European root meaning 'to pour, sift, or drip.'

Topics