glean

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To collect (fruit, grain, or other produce) from a field, an orchard, etc., after the main gathering or harvest.
2. (transitive) To collect fruit, grain, or other produce from (a field, an orchard, etc.), after the main gathering or harvest.
3. (figuratively, transitive) 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.
4. (figuratively, transitive) To take away (someone's) possessions; to strip (someone) bare.
5. (figuratively, transitive) 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.
6. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To collect or gather (things) into one mass.
7. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To cut off (straggling soldiers separated from their units) during a conflict; to isolate.
8. (intransitive) To collect fruit, grain, or other produce after the main gathering or harvest.
9. (intransitive) 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.

Noun

A collection of something made by gleaning.

Noun

The afterbirth or placenta of an animal, especially a cow or sheep.

Synonyms

gather

collect

reap

pick

⛏️

extract

harvest

draw

draw back

elicit

farm

get

pick up

pull

pull in

raise

renege on

reprint

retrieve

scrape

scrape together

scythe

shear

summon

take back

take up

withdraw

work up

worm

🪱

drum up

muster up

scrape up

accumulate

collect a few grains

assemble

cancel

catch

cut

distill

Translations

glaner

espigar

oppikken

raccogliere

verzamelen

racimolare

colher

🥄

التقط

toplamak

retirer

sammeln

stoppeln

μαζεύω

respigar

espigolar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡliːn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: glenen

Cognate with French: glaner

In summary

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.
cognates
* Medieval Latin glana, glena (“bundle of ears of grain”)