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View synonyms for

sieve

[ siv ]

noun

  1. an instrument with a meshed or perforated bottom, used for separating coarse from fine parts of loose matter, for straining liquids, etc., especially one with a circular frame and fine meshes or perforations.
  2. a person who cannot keep a secret.


verb (used with or without object)

sieved, sieving.
  1. to put or force through a sieve; sift.

sieve

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. a device for separating lumps from powdered material, straining liquids, grading particles, etc, consisting of a container with a mesh or perforated bottom through which the material is shaken or poured
  2. rare.
    a person who gossips and spreads secrets
  3. memory like a sieve or head like a sieve
    a very poor memory
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to pass or cause to pass through a sieve
  2. troften foll byout to separate or remove (lumps, materials, etc) by use of a sieve
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𱹱ˌ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • 𱹱l adjective
  • ܲ·𱹱 adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sieve1

First recorded before 900; Middle English sive, Old English sife; cognate with Dutch zeef, German Sieb; sift
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sieve1

Old English sife; related to Old Norse sef reed with hollow stalk, Old High German sib sieve, Dutch zeef
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Compare Meanings

How does sieve compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

That could have maybe turned into something, but Chelsea wants the sieve, she wants to pour down the plug hole.

From

"If you imagine the lungs like a sieve, smoking will break holes in the sieve, so more can get through," says Prof Tregoning.

From

But soon after the scientists — of the trained, in-training and citizen variety — shimmied large nets that functioned as sieves into the brackish water, gleeful cries began to ring out.

From

Yoakam’s “Greater Bakersfield” is the sieve through which much of “Brighter Days” filtered.

From

They also relied on panning - the washing of sediment through a sieve so the gold settles at the bottom.

From

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