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

• Adam Smith
• Adam's apple
• Adam's needle
• Adam's needle-and-thread
• Adam's Peak
• adam-and-eve
• adamance
• adamant
• adamantine
• adamantly
• Adams
• Adams-Stokes syndrome
• Adana
• adangle
• Adansonia
• Adansonia digitata
• Adansonia gregorii
• Adapa
• Adapid
• Adapid group
• Adapin
• adapt
• adaptability
• adaptable
• adaptation