glean

Where “glean” sits in English frequency

Definition

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

Etymology

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”)

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gelan,gglean,gleann,glena,gllean,lgean

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of glean - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Frequently Asked Questions