sift

sift

Pronunciation: ⁄sɪft⁄

verb

[with object]

·              1put (a fine or loose substance) through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles:sift the flour into a large bowl

·    cause to flow or pass as through a sieve:Miranda sifted the warm sand through her fingers

·    [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of snow, ash, etc.) descend lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve:ash began to sift down round them

·              2examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important:until we sift the evidence ourselves, we can’t comment objectively[no object]:the fourth stage involves sifting through the data and evaluating it

·    (sift something out) separate something, especially something to be discarded, from something else:he asked for streamlined procedures to sift out frivolous applications

noun

[usually in singular]

·              an act of sifting something, especially so as to isolate that which is most important:a careful archaeological sift must be made through the debris

·    an amount of sifted material:the floor was dusted with a fine sift of flour