1. The act of separating grain from chaff
   - winnow, winnowing

1. Move as if through a sieve
   "The soldiers sifted through the woods" 
2. Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
   "sift the flour"
   - sieve, strain 
3. Check and sort carefully
   "sift the information"
   - sieve 
4. Distinguish and separate out
   "sift through the job candidates"
   - sieve

Derived forms: siftings

See also: sieve, sifter

Type of: analyse [Brit, Cdn], analyze [N. Amer], canvas, canvass, choose, examine, go, locomote, move, pick out, select, separate, separation, study, take, travel

Encyclopedia: Sift

• embroidery frame
• embroidery hoop
• embroidery needle
• embroidery stitch
• embroil
• embroiled
• embroilment
• embrown
• embryo
• embryogenic
• embryogeny
• embryologic
• embryologist
• embryology
• embryoma of the kidney
• embryonal
• embryonal carcinoma
• embryonal carcinosarcoma
• embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma
• embryonal rhabdosarcoma
• embryonic
• embryonic cell
• embryonic membrane
• embryonic stem-cell research
• embryonic tissue