cull

1 of 2

verb

ˈkəl 

culled; culling; culls

transitive verb

1

: to select from a group : choose

culled the best passages from the poet's work

Damaged fruits are culled before the produce is shipped.

2

: to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals

The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.

culling a herd of cattle

also : to hunt or kill (individuals) for culling

culling diseased cows

culled hundreds of deer

culler noun

cull

2 of 2

noun

: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless

… how to separate good-looking pecans from culls.

—The Washington Post

Synonyms

Verb

• cherry-pick
• choose
• elect
• handpick
• name
• opt (for)
• pick
• prefer
• select
• single (out)
• tag
• take

Noun

• discard
• reject
• rejection
• second

Examples of cull in a Sentence

Verb

He culls his herd annually.

The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.

Noun

the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Indeed, both Turkey and India have a history of mass culling dogs in cruel ways, prior to the passage of more humane animal welfare legislation like Turkey’s original Animal Protection Law and India’s Animal Birth Control Rules. —Sam Delgado, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024

People also aren’t that patient — the payoff from culling, even if state-sanctioned, can take years to materialize. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 15 Aug. 2024

Noun

There are currently no plans for a cull of parakeets in Britain, though some conservationists have suggested that action to reduce numbers will be needed, such as tightening laws on possession and import (as has happened in Spain), or even, controversially, shooting them. —The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Aug. 2024

One senator who supported the move to expand the cull quota said Dana’s death illuminated the growing number of human-bear conflicts in Romania, which is home to more bears than any other country in the European Union. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 17 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French culier, coillir, from Latin colligere to bind together — more at collect

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cull

1 of 2 verb

ˈkəl 

1

: to select from a group : choose

2

: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal of usually weaker animals

a hunt to cull the growing deer population

culler noun

cull

2 of 2 noun

: something rejected from a group or lot as being not as good as the rest