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| sift [ sift ] (past and past participle sift·ed, present participle sift·ing, 3rd person present singular sifts) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb separate particles: to pass a substance through a sieve to separate out or break up coarse particles
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2. transitive verb take something out: to separate something with a sieve, or by a process of selection or elimination
 sift the good from the bad
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3. transitive verb scatter something: to scatter something with or as if with a sieve
 We sifted sugar on the candies.
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4. transitive and intransitive verb examine: to sort or examine something carefully
 sift evidence
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5. intransitive verb pass through: to pass or fall through or as if through a sieve
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| [ Old English siftan< Germanic] |
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 sift·er noun |
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