WordWeb Online

1. The act of separating grain from chaff
   "the sifting was done by women"
   - 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