Glean
ɡliːn
Definitions
2 meaningsTo collect gradually or bit by bit; to gather information or a small amount from various sources.
ɡliːn
To gather information or material bit by bit.
She gleaned information about her ancestors from old letters and diaries.
💡 Simply: Think of it like piecing together a puzzle. Gleaning is when you collect bits and pieces of information from different places to get a complete picture, like finding clues to solve a mystery or figuring out what happened during a weekend trip by asking different friends.
👶 For kids: To collect little bits of things that are left over after the main part is gone, like picking up the last few berries after everyone else is done.
More Examples
The detective gleaned clues from the crime scene.
After the harvest, the poor were allowed to glean the fields for leftover crops.
How It's Used
"The historian gleaned information from various archives."
"The reporter gleaned details from several anonymous sources."
"After the harvest, farmers would allow the poor to glean the remaining grain."
To gather (leftover grain or other produce) after a harvest; to collect what remains.
ɡliːn
To gather leftover grain after a harvest.
The villagers were allowed to glean the fields after the harvest.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a fair and after everyone leaves, you get to gather up any remaining food, like stray popcorn or candies on the ground. That's kind of like gleaning – collecting the leftovers after something is done.
👶 For kids: To pick up the leftover food that the farmer left behind after he picked all the food.
More Examples
She would glean the fields at the end of summer to supplement the family's food supply.
Gleaning was a traditional practice that helped provide food for the less fortunate.
How It's Used
"In some cultures, people were permitted to glean fields after the main harvest, collecting the remaining grains."
"Gleaning was a right, especially for the poor, as it provided a crucial source of food."
Idioms & expressions
glean information
To acquire knowledge or data bit by bit.
"The investigators gleaned information from several sources to piece together the timeline of events."
From Middle English glenen, from Old English *glēnan (only found in compounds), from Proto-Germanic *glēnaną. Related to Old High German glēnēn ('to glean'), and possibly from the root of gleam, meaning to shine or gather.
Historically, the word was strongly associated with agriculture and the right of the poor to collect leftover crops after a harvest.
Memory tip
Imagine a farmer collecting leftover grain after the harvest – gleaning what remains.
Word Origin
"to gather"