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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
Dr. Michelle Frasher, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
The company also gleaned insights from three years of interviews conducted with hikers.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024
The idea of gleaning wisdom from the betting crowd through giant markets of bettors got a major boost on election night, but presidential races come only once every four years.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Answers will be provided to the community when the investigation is concluded, Beshear said, and any lessons that can be gleaned to prevent harm in the future will be emphasized.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glean 
Dictionary Entries Near glean
Cite this Entry
“Glean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glean. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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glean
verb
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