# cull

> English word · Verb · IPA /kʌl/ · frequency rank #30,384

## Definitions
1. To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
2. To gather, collect.
3. To select animals from a group and then kill them in order to reduce the numbers of the group in a controlled manner.
4. To kill (animals, etc).
5. To lay off in order to reduce the size of, get rid of.
6. To selectively not render or process certain objects, such as polygons.

## Etymology
From Middle English cullen, cuilen, coilen, from Old French cuillir (“collect, gather, select”), from Latin colligō (“gather together”). Doublet of coil.

## Easily confused with
- **cut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cut)
- **cup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cup)
- **cum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cum)
- **cuz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cuz)
- **cur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cur)
- **cute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cute)
- **cuts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cuts)
- **cure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cure)
- **cups** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cups)
- **cult** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cult)
- **cunt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cunt)
- **curb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-curb)
- **curl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-curl)
- **curt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-curt)
- **cusp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cusp)
- **curd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-curd)
- **cuss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cuss)
- **cums** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cums)
- **cuny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-cuny)
- **curly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cull-vs-curly)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ccull`, `clul`, `cul`, `ucll`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cull