winnow

1. (transitive, agriculture, literal) To subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff.Examples: "[W]ind began to winnow the river delta's dried sediments."Synonyms: wind#Verbtransitive

2. (transitive, figuratively) To separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values.Examples: "They winnowed the field to twelve."; "They winnowed the winners from the losers."; "They winnowed the losers from the winners."Synonyms: comb outfigurativelytransitive

3. (transitive, literary) To blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.Examples: "The light snow lay on the narrow and winding path before them, pure as if just fresh winnowed by the wind."; "Gulls average much larger than terns, with stouter build; the feet are larger and more ambulatorial, the wings are shorter and not so thin; the birds winnow the air in a steady course unlike the buoyant dashing flight of their relatives."literarytransitive

4. (intransitive, literary, dated) To move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.datedintransitiveliterary