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The Grainy History of Glean
While it is certainly true that one must reap what one sows (that is, harvest the crops that one plants), what should be done about the grain and other produce left over that the reapers missed? Well, friends, that must be gleaned—waste not, want not, after all. It’s a finicky business, too, picking through stalks and under leaves and whatnot. When it was first used in English in the 14th century, glean carried both the sense of “to gather grain or other produce left by reapers” and the more figurative meaning of “to gather information or material bit by bit,” reflecting the slow, gradual, painstaking work of scouring the fields. Over the years, and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, glean has also come to be used frequently with the meaning “to find out, learn, ascertain.” This sense has been criticized by folks who think glean should always imply the drudgery involved in the literal grain-gathering sense, but it is well established and perfectly valid.
Examples of glean in a Sentence
Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
And while history has no bearing on this current iteration of the Dolphins, it can be gleaned that the trio knows how to prepare for Week 1.
—Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Roche took to his bag of artistic tricks gleaned from an animation career of using camera angles and framing to help wring the drama of those situations.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Wall Street will glean more insight into the labor market Thursday.
—Jenni Reid,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glean
Cite this Entry
“Glean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glean. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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glean
verb
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