0 to blow the chaff (= the outer coverings) from grain before it can be used as food --
a winnowing process
A list of 15 applicants has been winnowed down to three.
1 to reduce a large number of people or things to a much smaller number by judging their quality: --
The six architects chosen to compete for the commission were winnowed from an original list of 27.
After pounding, winnowing may be used to remove the chaff.
The chaff and grain are then separated by winnowing, and the chaff is discarded.
Part of the rice harvest is grilled, ground, and winnowed, a ritual preparation for the upcoming celebration.
By this simple process, corn may be cut down, winnowed, ground, dried, and baked within half an hour.
Prior to the development of the winnowing barn, winnowing was done by hand using winnowing baskets a long and labor-intensive process.
Winnowing forks, generally made of wood, were common at the time, and several dating from this period have been found.
Threshing and winnowing would also have been carried out in the barn.
The male performs winnowing display during courtship, flying high in circles and then taking shallow dives to produce a distinctive sound.
