Nearby Words

sifting

[sift] Origin

sift

[sift]
verb (used with object)
1.
to separate and retain the coarse parts of (flour, ashes, etc.) with a sieve.
2.
to scatter or sprinkle through or by means of a sieve: to sift sugar onto cake.
3.
to separate by or as if by a sieve.
4.
to examine closely: The detectives are still sifting the evidence.
5.
to question closely.
verb (used without object)
6.
to sift something.
7.
to pass or fall through or as if through a sieve.

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Sifting is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English siften, Old English siftan; cognate with Dutch, Middle Low German siften; akin to sieve

out·sift, verb (used with object)
pre·sift, verb (used with object)
re·sift, verb (used with object)
un·sift·ed, adjective


4. sort, scrutinize, inspect, search, probe.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sift
O.E. siftan "pass something through a sieve," related to sife (see sieve). Cf. Du. ziften, M.L.G. sichten, Ger. sichten "to sift." Metaphoric sense of "look carefully through" first recorded 1535.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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