Glean
/ɡliːn/noun
To collect leftover grain or other material after a harvest, or to gather information gradually.
Did you know?Biblical law instructed landowners not to reap every corner of their fields, leaving leftovers for the poor, foreigners, widows, and orphans to glean.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Late Latin
glennāre
“To gather ears of grain left after harvesting; this proposed source is commonly cited but not certain.”
12th Century
Old French
glaner
“To gather leftover grain from a harvested field.”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-French
glener
“To glean or collect remnants after reaping.”
14th Century
Middle English
glenen
“To gather scattered grain left in a field.”
16th Century
English
glean
“To collect remnants, and figuratively to obtain information bit by bit.”
Modern English
English
glean
“To gather information, facts, or material gradually, or to collect leftovers after a harvest.”