cull

[ kuhl ]

verb (used with object)

1. to select and remove from a group, especially to discard or destroy as inferior:

   When I cull the smaller curved saplings, I'm careful to protect and nurture the straighter and larger trees.

2. to discard unwanted parts or remove choice parts from (a group):

   Ranchers must decide whether to buy expensive feed or cull their herds to weather the drought.

   Synonyms: single out, cherry-pick

3. to collect; gather; pluck:

   Quotations are culled from a variety of literature, diaries and letters, local histories, journals, and newspapers.

   Synonyms: amass, garner

noun

1. the act of culling.
2. something culled, especially something picked out and put aside as inferior.

cull

/ kʌl /

verb

1. to choose or gather the best or required examples
2. to take out (an animal, esp an inferior one) from a herd
3. to reduce the size of (a herd or flock) by killing a proportion of its members
4. to gather (flowers, fruit, etc)
5. to cease to employ; get rid of

noun

1. the act or product of culling
2. an inferior animal taken from a herd or group

Other Words From

• cull·er noun
• out·cull verb (used with object)
• o·ver·cull verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of cull¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English coilen, cuilen, cullen, from Anglo-French, Old French coillir, cuillir, from Latin colligere “to gather”; collect ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cull¹

C15: from Old French coillir to pick, from Latin colligere; see collect ¹

Example Sentences

All poultry at the premises will be humanely culled, Defra said.

From BBC

University officials are culling the data gathered and holding sessions with participants to begin crafting the new direction.

From Los Angeles Times

They need to lead on conducting a cull of the squad which carries too many expensive passengers.

From BBC

"Vets such as myself were deployed into the front line to supervise the culls and I witnessed sights then that I never want to see again in my lifetime."

From BBC

Squash, badminton and table tennis were all culled, meaning there will be no racquet sports in Glasgow.

From BBC

Related Words

• extract
• glean
• pluck
• select
• sift
• winnow