Library / English Dictionary

SIEVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A strainer for separating lumps from powdered material or grading particles

Synonyms:

screen; sieve

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("sieve" is a kind of...):

strainer (a filter to retain larger pieces while smaller pieces and liquids pass through)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sieve"):

riddle (a coarse sieve (as for gravel))

sifter (a household sieve (as for flour))

Derivation:

sieve; sift (separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distinguish and separate out

Example:

sift through the job candidates

Synonyms:

sieve; sift

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "sieve" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements

Example:

sift the flour

Synonyms:

sieve; sift; strain

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sieve" is one way to...):

separate (divide into components or constituents)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sieve"):

rice (sieve so that it becomes the consistency of rice)

resift (sift anew)

riddle; screen (separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff)

winnow (separate the chaff from grain by using air currents)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Also:

sieve out (separate or remove)

Derivation:

sieve (a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material or grading particles)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Check and sort carefully

Example:

sift the information

Synonyms:

sieve; sift

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "sieve" is one way to...):

analyse; analyze; canvass; examine; study (consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Examine in order to test suitability

Example:

screen the job applicants

Synonyms:

screen; screen out; sieve; sort

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "sieve" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

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