winnow
/ˈwɪnəʊ/verb
1
- with obj. blow a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff扬（谷）, 簸。
1.1
- remove (chaff) from grain除去（谷物）的壳：
women winnow the chaff from piles of unhusked rice.
女人们把成堆成堆的剥壳稻谷扬去谷壳。
1.2
- reduce the number in a set of (people or things) gradually until only the best ones are left筛选, 选取（人, 物）：
the contenders had been winnowed to five.
经过筛选, 竞争者剩下五名。
1.3
- find or identify (a valuable or useful part of something)发现; 辨别（某物有价值或有用之处） ：
amidst this welter of confusing signals, it's difficult to winnow out the truth.
在一堆杂乱无章的信号之中, 要辨别真相很困难。
1.4
- identify and remove (the least valuable or useful people or things)辨别并剔除（最无价值或用处者）：
guidelines that would help winnow out those not fit to be soldiers.
将有助于剔除那些不适合当兵之人的准则。
2
- no obj. poetic/literary (of the wind) blow〈诗/文〉（风）吹：
the autumn wind winnowing its way through the grass.
秋风一路轻拂草地。
2.1
- with obj.(of a bird) fan (the air) with wings（鸟）用翼扇动（空气）。
派生词
winnower
noun词源
Old English windwian, from wind （see WIND1）.