sieve

C2 Topic:Cooking & Baking

US /sɪv/ UK /sɪv/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like shiv /s/ vs /ʃ/ Sounds like sib /v/ vs /b/

Freq #26919

Meanings

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

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

verb
to examine or filter a large amount of material carefully

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

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a utensil with a mesh or... strainer screen

2 verb · to pass a substance through... sift strain

3 verb · to examine or filter a... filter screen sort

Opposites

combine mix

Word family

Forms sieves

Derived forms microsievenanosieveresievesievablesievefulsievelesssiever

Related forms baleen mesh colander

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

sieve tube
a chain of joined plant cells through which dissolved nutrients travel

Noun + noun

Tongue twisters (1)

See all

Sift the Thistles
Fill the sieve with thistles, then sift the thistles in the sieve.

Contrast /θ/ at the start of thistles with /s/ in sieve and sift. The written t in thistles is silent; sieve rhymes with give.

Etymology

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

Cooking & Baking General Vocabulary

External links

# sieve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /sɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /sɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 26919

## Meanings
1. a utensil with a mesh or perforated bottom used to separate fine particles from coarse ones
2. to pass a substance through a sieve in order to separate or grade its particles
3. to examine or filter a large amount of material carefully

## Examples
- She shook the flour through a sieve to remove the remaining lumps.
- The workers sieve the dry soil before examining it for small artifacts.
- Investigators must sieve the reports for details that can be independently verified.

## Synonyms
- strainer
- screen
- sift
- strain
- filter

## Antonyms
- combine
- mix

## Derived Forms
- microsieve
- nanosieve
- resieve
- sievable
- sieveful
- sieveless
- siever

## Related Forms
- baleen
- mesh
- colander

## Etymology
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
- Cooking & Baking
- General Vocabulary

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