glean

noun

(obsolete except UK, dialectal) A collection of something made by gleaning.

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

verb

(transitive) (figurative) 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.

(transitive) To collect (fruit, grain, or other produce) from a field, an orchard, etc., after the main gathering or harvest.

(transitive) To collect fruit, grain, or other produce from (a field, an orchard, etc.), after the main gathering or harvest.

(intransitive) To collect fruit, grain, or other produce after the main gathering or harvest.

(transitive) (figurative) To take away (someone's) possessions; to strip (someone) bare.

(transitive) (figurative) (zoology) 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.

(intransitive) (zoology) 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.

(transitive) (figurative) (obsolete) To collect or gather (things) into one mass.

(transitive) (figurative) (obsolete, military) To cut off (straggling soldiers separated from their units) during a conflict; to isolate.

(intransitive, obsolete) Of an animal, especially a cow or sheep: to deliver its afterbirth or placenta.

Roots

glenerglean- · Old French · to gather up (grain after reapers)

Synonyms for glean

reapv harvestn gatherv collectv derivev amassv deducev garnerv extractv inferv findv

Synonyms & related words for glean

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of glean — including reap, harvest, gather, collect, derive, amass. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to glean

Explore words related to glean — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include gleanings, ingather, regather, scrounge, obtain, unearth, discern, decipher. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for glean

Common synonyms for glean include reap, harvest, gather, collect, derive, amass, deduce, garner — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does glean come from?

The word glean breaks down into one root of Old French origin: the root glean, from Old French glener (“to gather up (grain after reapers)”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.