Sift

Pronunciation: /sɪft/

Definitions of sift

verb to separate and remove the larger pieces from a substance by passing it through a sieve or filter

Example Sentences

A1 I sifted through the sand to find seashells.

A2 She sifted the flour before adding it to the cake mixture.

B1 The detective had to sift through the evidence to find the culprit.

B2 It can be challenging to sift through all the information on the internet to find accurate sources.

C1 The archaeologist sifted through layers of soil to uncover ancient artifacts.

C2 The journalist sifted through thousands of documents to uncover the truth behind the scandal.

Examples of sift in a Sentence

formal The archaeologist carefully sifted through the dirt to uncover ancient artifacts.

informal I need to sift through my closet to find something to wear for the party.

slang Let's sift through the options and pick the best one.

figurative It can be challenging to sift through all the information available on the internet.

Grammatical Forms of sift

• past tense: sifted
• plural: sifts
• comparative: more sifted
• superlative: most sifted
• present tense: sift
• future tense: will sift
• perfect tense: have sifted
• continuous tense: is sifting
• singular: sifter
• positive degree: sift
• infinitive: to sift
• gerund: sifting
• participle: sifted

Origin and Evolution of sift

First Known Use: 1000 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'sift' originated from Old English 'siftan' which meant to pass through a sieve or filter.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'sift' has retained its original meaning of separating and removing unwanted particles, but has also expanded to include metaphorical uses such as examining closely or scrutinizing.