sift Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb move as if through a sieve
    • The soldiers sifted through the woods
  2. verb separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
    strain; sieve.
    • sift the flour
  3. verb check and sort carefully
    sieve.
    • sift the information
  4. verb distinguish and separate out
    sieve.
    • sift through the job candidates

WordNet

Sift transitive verb
Etymology
AS. siftan, from sife sieve. a. See Sieve.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Sifted; present participle & verbal noun Sifting
Definitions
  1. To separate with a sieve, as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal or flour; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.
  2. To separate or part as if with a sieve.
    When yellow sands are sifted from below, The glittering billows give a golden show. Dryden.
  3. To examine critically or minutely; to scrutinize.
    Sifting the very utmost sentence and syllable. Hooker.
    Opportunity I here have had To try thee, sift thee. Milton.
    Let him but narrowly sift his ideas. I. Taylor.

Webster 1913