Sift

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Sift, v. t. [AS. siftan, from sife sieve. a. See Sieve.].

•  To separate with a sieve, as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal or flour; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.  [1913 Webster]
•  To separate or part as if with a sieve.  [1913 Webster]

  "When yellow sands are sifted from below,
  The glittering billows give a golden show."  [1913 Webster]
•  To examine critically or minutely; to scrutinize.  [1913 Webster]

  "Sifting the very utmost sentence and syllable."  [1913 Webster]

  "Opportunity I here have had
  To try thee, sift thee."  [1913 Webster]

  "Let him but narrowly sift his ideas."  [1913 Webster]

To sift out, to search out with care, as if by sifting.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Sift, v.
1 tr. sieve (material) into finer and coarser parts.
2 tr. (usu. foll. by from, out) separate (finer or coarser parts) from material.
3 tr. sprinkle (esp. sugar) from a perforated container.
4 tr. examine (evidence, facts, etc.) in order to assess authenticity etc.
5 intr. (of snow, light, etc.) fall as if from a sieve.

Idiom

sift through examine by sifting.

Derivative

sifter n. (also in comb.).

Etymology

OE siftan f. WG

THESAURUS

Sift

air, analyze, appraise, assess, assort, bolt, canvass, catalog, categorize, choose, choose out, clarify, class, classify, clear, collate, comb, comment upon, consider, contradistinguish, controvert, cordon, cordon off, cull, cull out, deal with, debate, decide between, decrassify, deliberate, deliberate upon, delve into, demarcate, demark, depurate, differentiate, dig into, discourse about, discriminate, discuss, distill, distinguish, divide, draw the line, edulcorate, elute, essentialize, evaluate, examine, excerpt, exchange views, explore, extract, factor, fathom, filter, filtrate, gauge, ghettoize, gin, glean, go into, gradate, grade, group, handle, handpick, identify, indagate, inquire into, insulate, investigate, isolate, keep apart, keep aside, knock around, lay aside, leach, lixiviate, look into, make a selection, mark the interface, pass under review, peer into, percolate, pick, pick out, plumb, poke into, probe, prospect, pry into, purify, put aside, quarantine, rank, rap, reason, reason about, reason the point, rectify, refine, review, riddle, screen, screen out, scrutinize, search into, seclude, segregate, select, separate, set a limit, set apart, set aside, set off, sever, severalize, sieve, sieve out, sift out, single out, size, sort, sort out, sound, spiritualize, split hairs, strain, study, subdivide, sublimate, sublime, subordinate, subtilize, take up, talk, talk about, talk of, talk over, thrash, thrash out, thresh, thresh out, treat, try, ventilate, weed out, weigh, winnow

ROGET THESAURUS

Sift

Cleanness

VB be clean, render clean, clean, cleanse, mundify, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up, wash, lave, launder, buck, absterge, deterge, decrassify, clear, purify, depurate, despumate, defecate, purge, expurgate, elutriate, lixiviate, edulcorate, clarify, refine, rack, filter, filtrate, drain, strain, disinfect, fumigate, ventilate, deodorize, whitewash, castrate, emasculate, sift, winnow, pick, weed, comb, rake, brush, sweep, rout out, clear out, sweep out, make a clean sweep of.

Simpleness

VB render simple, simplify, sift, winnow, bolt, eliminate, exclude, get rid of, clear, purify, disentangle.

Arrangement

VB reduce to order, bring into order, introduce order into, rally, arrange, dispose, place, form, put in order, set in order, place in order, set out, collocate, pack, marshal, range, size, rank, group, parcel out, allot, distribute, deal, cast the parts, assign the parts, dispose of, assign places to, assort, sort, sift, riddle, put to rights, set to rights, put into shape, put in trim, put in array, apportion, class, classify, divide, file, string together, thread, register, catalogue, tabulate, index, graduate, digest, grade, methodize, regulate, systematize, coordinate, organize, settle, fix, unravel, disentangle, ravel, card, disembroil, feaze.

Inquiry

VB make inquiry, inquire, ask, seek, search, look for, look about for, look out for, scan, reconnoiter, explore, sound, rummage, ransack, pry, peer, look round, look over, go over, look through, go through, spy, overhaul, ask about, inquire about, scratch the head, slap the forehead, look into every hole and corner, peer into every hole and corner, pry into every hole and corner, nose, trace up, search out, hunt down, hunt out, fish out, ferret out, unearth, leave no stone unturned, seek a clue, seek a clew, hunt, track, trail, mouse, dodge, trace, follow the trail, follow the scent, pursue, beat up one's quarters, fish for, feel for, investigate, take up an inquiry, institute an inquiry, pursue an inquiry, follow up an inquiry, conduct an inquiry, carry on an inquiry, carry out an inquiry, prosecute an inquiry, look at, look into, preexamine, discuss, canvass, agitate, examine, study, consider, calculate, dip into, dive into, delve into, go deep into, make sure of, probe, sound, fathom, probe to the bottom, probe to the quick, scrutinize, analyze, anatomize, dissect, parse, resolve, sift, winnow, view in all its phases, try in all its phases, thresh out, bring in question, bring into question, subject to examination, put to the proof, audit, tax, pass in review, take into consideration, take counsel, question, demand, put the question, pop the question, propose the question, propound the question, moot the question, start the question, raise the question, stir the question, suggest the question, put forth the question, ventilate the question, grapple with the question, go into a question, question, put to the question, interrogate, pump, subject to interrogation, subject to examination, cross-question, cross-examine, press for an answer, give the third degree, put to the inquisition, dodge, catechize, require an answer, pick the brains of, suck the brains of, feel the pulse, get the lay of the land, see how the wind is blowing, put one's ear to the ground, be in question, undergo examination.

Discrimination

VB discriminate, distinguish, severalize, recognize, match, identify, separate, draw the line, sift, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, separate the men from the boys, split hairs, draw a fine line, nitpick, quibble, estimate, know which is which, know what is what, know 'a hawk from a handsaw', take into account, take into consideration, give due weight to, allow due weight to, weigh carefully.