glean
Meanings
- To collect (fruit, grain, or other produce) from a field, an orchard, etc., after the main gathering or harvest.
- To gather (something, now chiefly something intangible such as experience or information) in small amounts over a period of time, often with some difficulty; to scrape together.
- To take away (someone's) possessions; to strip (someone) bare.
- Of an animal, especially a bat or a bird: to feed by picking up or plucking (prey, mainly arthropods such as insects) from various places.
- To collect or gather (things) into one mass.
- To cut off (straggling soldiers separated from their units) during a conflict; to isolate.
- To collect fruit, grain, or other produce after the main gathering or harvest.
- Of an animal, especially a bat or a bird: to feed by picking up or plucking prey, mainly arthropods such as insects, from various places.
- A collection of something made by gleaning.
- The afterbirth or placenta of an animal, especially a cow or sheep.
- Of an animal, especially a cow or sheep: to deliver its afterbirth or placenta.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English glenen (“to gather (heads of grain left by reapers), glean; to gather (things) together, collect”), from Old French glener, glainer (modern French glaner (“to gather, glean”)), from Late Latin glen(n)are, the present active infinitive of glen(n)ō (“to make a collection”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *glanos (“clean; clear”, adjective), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleh₁- (“to glow, shine; to be glowing or shining”). The noun is derived from Late Middle English glene (“collection of heads of grain gathered by gleaning; head of grain”), from Old French glene, glane (“act of gleaning; legal right to glean”) (modern French glane (“act of gleaning”)), from glener, glainer (verb): see above. Cognate with Medieval Latin glana, glena (“bundle of ears of grain”).