Glean

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Glean, v. t. [OE. glenen, OF. glener, glaner, F. glaner, fr. LL. glenare; cf. W. glan clean, glanhu to clean, purify, or AS. gelm, gilm, a handul.].

•  To gather after a reaper; to collect in scattered or fragmentary parcels, as the grain left by a reaper, or grapes left after the gathering.  [1913 Webster]

  "To glean the broken ears after the man
  That the main harvest reaps."  [1913 Webster]
•  To gather from (a field or vineyard) what is left.  [1913 Webster]
•  To collect with patient and minute labor; to pick out; to obtain.  [1913 Webster]

  "Content to glean what we can from . . . experiments."  [1913 Webster]

Glean, v. i. 

•  To gather stalks or ears of grain left by reapers.  [1913 Webster]

  "And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers."  [1913 Webster]
•  To pick up or gather anything by degrees.  [1913 Webster]

  "Piecemeal they this acre first, then that;
  Glean on, and gather up the whole estate."  [1913 Webster]

Glean, n. 

 A collection made by gleaning.  [1913 Webster]
"The gleans of yellow thyme distend his thighs."  [1913 Webster]

Glean, n. 

 Cleaning; afterbirth.  Holland.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Glean, v.
1 tr. collect or scrape together (news, facts, gossip, etc.) in small quantities.
2 a tr. (also absol.) gather (ears of corn etc.) after the harvest. b tr. strip (a field etc.) after a harvest.

Derivative

gleaner n.

Etymology

ME f. OF glener f. LL glennare, prob. of Celt. orig.

THESAURUS

Glean

accumulate, amass, ascertain, assemble, bring in, bring together, choose out, collect, conclude, crop, crop herbs, cull, cut, decide between, deduce, derive, dig, dig up, draw a conclusion, draw an inference, excerpt, extract, fetch, find, garner, gather, gather in, get in, get together, grabble, grub, grub up, handpick, harvest, hay, induce, infer, learn, make a selection, mow, nut, pick, pick out, pick up, pluck, rake up, reap, reap and carry, reason, reason that, round up, scare up, scrape together, scrape up, select, sift, single out, take as proved, take up, winnow

ROGET THESAURUS

Glean

Choice

VB offers one's choice, set before, hold out the alternative, present the alternative, offer the alternative, put to the vote, use option, use discretion, exercise option, exercise discretion, one's option, adopt, take up, embrace, espouse, choose, elect, opt for, take one's choice, make one's choice, make choice of, fix upon, vote, poll, hold up one's hand, divide, settle, decide, list, make up one's mind, select, pick and choose, pick out, single out, cull, glean, winnow, sift the chaff from the wheat, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, pick up, pitch upon, pick one's way, indulge one's fancy, set apart, mark out for, mark, prefer, have rather, have as lief, fancy, be persuaded, take a decided step, take a decisive step, commit oneself to a course, pass the Rubicon, cross the Rubicon, cast in one's lot with, take for better or for worse.

Acquisition

VB acquire, get, gain, win, earn, obtain, procure, gather, collect, pick, pickup, glean, find, come upon, pitch upon, light upon, scrape up, scrape together, get in, reap and carry, net, bag, sack, bring home, secure, derive, draw, get in the harvest, profit, make profit, draw profit, turn a quick profit, turn to profit, turn to account, make capital out of, make money by, obtain a return, reap the fruits of, reap an advantage, gain an advantage, turn a penny, turn an honest penny, make the pot boil, bring grist to the mill, make money, coin money, raise money, raise funds, raise the wind, fill one's pocket, treasure up, realize, clear, produce, take, get back, recover, regain, retrieve, revendicate, replevy, redeem, come by one's own, come by, come in for, receive, inherit, step into a fortune, step into the shoes of, succeed to, get hold of, get between one's finger and thumb, get into one's hand, get at, take possession, come into possession, enter into possession, be profitable, pay, answer, accrue.