Word a Day
sift
What does sift mean?
sift (verb): separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you pronounce sift?
/sɪft/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does sift come from?
From Middle English syften, from Old English siftan, from Proto-West Germanic *siftijan.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Words related to sift
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “sift”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “sift” mean?
to physically repair (something that is broken, defaced, decayed, torn, or otherwise damaged)
Not quite: that's what mend means.
to make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed
Not quite: that's what hum means.
to slide along the ground, without the rotary motion that wheels or tracks would normally have
Not quite: that's what skid means.
separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
Right! That's what “sift” means.
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