noun / verb
sieve
SIV/sɪv/
A mesh utensil that separates material by size, or its use.
A metal sieve holds coarse particles above a bowl of flour.
Etymology
Old English sife already named a strainer. Its relationship to sift connects the utensil with its characteristic action: letting finer particles pass through while retaining coarser material.
In context
Now strain it through a fine mesh sieve …
More examples
- Shake the soil through a sieve to remove small stones.
- Sieve the flour before adding it to the batter.
- She is sieving sand to separate out the gravel.
Forms
sieve · sieves · sieved · sieving
Similar words
- strainer
- Usually separates solids from liquids rather than particles by size.
- sifter
- Usually handles flour or powders rather than varied materials.