verb / noun
sift
SIFT/sɪft/
To separate wanted particles using a sieve.
She sifts the flour to remove lumps before mixing the batter.
Etymology
Old English siftan described passing finer material through a sieve. The physical separation of fine from coarse became an image for examining something carefully to distinguish what matters.
In context
sift through the soil with your hands and all you're going to do is break it up nice and fine and you're going to remove all of the large roots and any rocks
More examples
- We sift compost through a wire screen to remove twigs.
- The workers sift sand to separate it from small stones.
- Detectives sift through the reports for useful clues.
Forms
sift · sifts · sifted · sifting
sifter noun — A tool for separating particles through mesh.