Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense sieves, present participle sieving, past tense, past participle sieved
1. countable noun
A sieve is a tool used for separating solids from liquids or larger pieces of something from smaller pieces. It consists of a metal or plastic ring with a wire or plastic net underneath, which the liquid or smaller pieces pass through.
Press the raspberries through a fine sieve to form a puree.
Synonyms: strainer, sifter, colander, screen More Synonyms of sieve
2. verb
When you sieve a substance, you put it through a sieve.
Cream the margarine in a small bowl, then sieve the icing sugar into it. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: sift, part, filter, strain More Synonyms of sieve
sieve in British English
(sɪv)
noun
1.
a device for separating lumps from powdered material, straining liquids, grading particles, etc, consisting of a container with a mesh or perforated bottom through which the material is shaken or poured
2. rare
a person who gossips and spreads secrets
3. memory like a sieve
verb
4.
to pass or cause to pass through a sieve
5. (transitive; often foll byout)
to separate or remove (lumps, materials, etc) by use of a sieve
Derived forms
sievelike (ˈsieveˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English sife; related to Old Norse sef reed with hollow stalk, Old High German sib sieve, Dutch zeef
sieve in American English
(sɪv)
noun
1.
a utensil having many small meshed or perforated openings, used to strain solids from liquids, to separate fine particles of loose matter from coarser ones, etc.; sifter; strainer
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: sieved or ˈsieving
2.
to put or pass through a sieve; sift
Word origin
ME sive < OE sife, akin to Ger sieb < IE base *seip-, to drip > seep
While he scrambled up the hill, Bess took a sieve and carefully put the remaining dirt from the shovel into it.
Keene, Carolyn THE SECRET OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY (2001)
Isabelle was the only female confidante she'd ever had, and entrusting a secret to Isabelle was rather like toting water in a sieve.
Penman, Sharon HERE BE DRAGONS (2001)
The syllables sounded like gravel being shaken in a coarse sieve.
Clive Barker COLDHEART CANYON (2001)
Empty the contents of the pan, vegetables and water, into the sieve.
LeCompte, Jane MOON PASSAGE (2001)
In other languages
sieve
British English: sieve /sɪv/ NOUN
A sieve is a tool consisting of a metal or plastic ring with a fine wire net attached. It is used for separating liquids from solids or larger pieces of something from smaller pieces.
Press the soup through a sieve into a bowl.
American English: sieve
Arabic: مُنْخُل
Brazilian Portuguese: peneira
Chinese: 筛子
Croatian: sito
Czech: síto
Danish: si
Dutch: zeef
European Spanish: tamiz
Finnish: siivilä
French: tamis
German: Sieb
Greek: κόσκινο
Italian: setaccio
Japanese: ふるい ざる
Korean: 체
Norwegian: sil
Polish: sito
European Portuguese: peneira
Romanian: sită
Russian: сито
Latin American Spanish: colador
Swedish: sil
Thai: กระชอน
Turkish: elek
Ukrainian: решето
Vietnamese: cái rây
British English: sieve VERB
When you sieve a substance, you put it through a sieve.
Cream the margarine in a small bowl, then sieve the icing sugar into it.