Etymology From Middle English wyndwen, from Old English windwian (“to winnow, fan, ventilate”), from Proto-West Germanic *windwōn, from Proto-Germanic *windwōną, *winþijaną (“to throw about, winnow”), from Proto-Indo-European *wē- (“to winnow, thresh”). Cognate with West Frisian wynje (“to winnow”), dialectal Dutch winden, winnen (“to winnow”), Middle High German winden (“to winnow”), Icelandic vinsa (“to pick out, weed”), Latin vannus (“a winnowing basket”). See fan, van.
1
Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle To subject (granular material, especially food grain) to a current of air separating heavier and lighter components, as grain from chaff.
By Jacob Behel, of Mifflintown, Pa.,—Improvement in winnowing Machines, Patented August 21, 1847.1847, editorial staff, “Winnowing Machines”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 9, page 68:
[W]ind began to winnow the river delta's dried sediments.1998 January 3, Sid Perkins, “Thin Skin”, in Science News, volume 165, number 1, page 11:
2
Figuratively To separate, sift, analyse, or test by separating items having different values.
They winnowed the field to twelve.
They winnowed the winners from the losers.
1 more example
They winnowed the losers from the winners.
3
Literary To blow upon or toss about by blowing; to set in motion as with a fan or wings.
The light snow lay on the narrow and winding path before them, pure as if just fresh winnowed by the wind.1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 206:
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.1872, Elliott Coues, Key to North American Birds:
4
Dated, Literary To move about with a flapping motion, as of wings; to flutter.
Etymology From Middle English wyndwen, from Old English windwian (“to winnow, fan, ventilate”), from Proto-West Germanic *windwōn, from Proto-Germanic *windwōną, *winþijaną (“to throw about, winnow”), from Proto-Indo-European *wē- (“to winnow, thresh”). Cognate with West Frisian wynje (“to winnow”), dialectal Dutch winden, winnen (“to winnow”), Middle High German winden (“to winnow”), Icelandic vinsa (“to pick out, weed”), Latin vannus (“a winnowing basket”). See fan, van.
1
That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.