Gleaning
/ˈɡliː.nɪŋ/noun
The act of collecting leftover crops from fields after the main harvest.
Did you know?Biblical law instructed landowners not to harvest every stalk, allowing widows, foreigners, and the poor to glean what remained.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin, proposed
Late Latin
glennāre
“To gather ears of grain left in a field; a possible source, though the ultimate origin is uncertain”
Medieval French
Old French
glener
“To collect ears of grain left after reaping”
14th Century
Middle English
glene
“To gather scattered grain after the harvest”
15th–16th Century
English
glean
“To collect leftover grain or other remnants”
Modern English
English
gleaning
“The act of gathering what remains, especially after a harvest”