We often use "winnow" in a literal way to talk about grains. "They sit together, winnowing the corn."

And we can use it semi-figuratively: we can say that objects or liquids are winnowing away, or winnowing through something, or winnowing themselves down. It's as if some outside force, like wind, is carrying away some of the bits and pieces. "Raindrops winnow through the grooves of his corduroy jacket." "She scoops up a handful of shells, letting the water winnow away the clumps of sand." 

And, we can use "winnow" in an entirely figurative way, as a clear, simple, powerful verb that lets us compare a process of narrowing things down to the action of blowing away impurities from valuable grains.

You might winnow down your options as you look for an apartment or a job. Or winnow down your collection of kitchen gadgets. Or winnow away the typos from your English paper. Or winnow out the junk mail from the mail you need to open. Here's Jared Diamond: "[Microbes from animals] get winnowed by natural selection, and only a few of them succeed in establishing themselves as human diseases."

As you can see, winnowing things means separating the worthless bits from the good bits. Although that's fine when you're talking about junk mail and kitchen gadgets and microbes, it might be an unkind thing to say if you're talking about people, especially children. You can talk about winnowing down job applicants, winnowing out the weirdos who message you on a dating site, or winnowing out the weakest children who'd hoped to make it onto an athletic team. But, if you're trying to be kind, I wouldn't. I could say I got winnowed out of Chemistry 101 my freshman year of college, blown away by a strong breeze of equations in need of balancing. It's true, but it's not a kind thing to say about myself. 

"All that scotch, all that wine, all that fine Canadian whiskey, all that beer, all that gin, and even moonshine is poured onto the gravel by straight-armed, sour-faced men. It winnows through the stones as we watch, bubbling into the undeserving earth."
   — Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants, 2006

"He winnowed his inner circle, bringing the people he needed closer and pushing others out."
   — Adam Kilgore, Washington Post, 21 July 2022

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If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "winnow" without saying "narrow down" or "sift."

try it out:

When you use the word "winnow," it's good to keep in mind the basic metaphor of wind blowing through grain, carrying away the useless chaff and leaving the useful grains.

Many writers forget about that metaphor and write about people "winnowing the herd" or "winnowing the flock," in reference to something figurative, like job applicants or contest entries. We know what they mean, but the metaphor got muddy.

Here's an elegant example that stays true to the metaphor:

"Much of Voltaire's multitudinous work was directed to immediate ends, and but for his grace of style would be of little present interest. But after all winnowings by the ever-swaying fan of time much is left of enduring value."
   — J. M. Wheeler and G. W. Foote, Voltaire: A Sketch of His Life and Works, 1891

Try using that as a template for your own example: "(Much or many) of (someone's) work(s) (were of little value in some way). But after all winnowings by the fan of time, much is left of enduring value."

Here's my example: "Many of Bernie Taupin's song lyrics through the 1970s and 80s are forgettable, samey, or even cringey, tainted by sexism and cultural appropriation. But after all winnowings by the fan of time, much is left of enduring value."

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I’ll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's someone who meets you at the library to join you in a state of deep, serious, often gloomy thoughtfulness," then you give me "brown study buddy." It's a mashup of "brown study" and "study buddy."

Try this one today: Because you take your work as a stunt double seriously, as seriously as a plastic surgeon takes each little procedure, it's the way you meticulously tweak and adjust the method by which you leap from a moving vehicle and somersault away. 

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... five.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... "nip."

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The opposite of WINNOWING a collection is

A. EARNING a collection.
B. EXPANDING a collection.
C. ORGANIZING a collection.

2. In Travels with Charley in Search of America, John Steinbeck wrote that "Americans... hunger for decent association with the past. Genealogists are worked to death winnowing the debris of ancestry for _____ of greatness."

A. seeds
B. grains
C. pebbles

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B Answer to the game question: nip and tuck and roll.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.