glean
GLEEN
/ɡliːn/
To gather grain or other produce left behind by reapers; to collect information or facts slowly and patiently.
In modern contexts, it almost always refers to gathering information, insights, or data bit by bit from various sources.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'glener', which traces back to a Celtic root. Historically, gleaning was a legal and moral right of the poor to walk through fields after the harvest to collect the leftover grain that the landowners' machines or workers missed.
Word relationships
- extract: 'Extract' implies pulling something out with force or precision, while 'glean' implies a patient, piece-by-piece gathering.
- garner: 'Garner' suggests accumulating a large store of something, whereas 'glean' emphasizes the painstaking collection of small fragments.
- disperse: 'Disperse' means to scatter or spread widely, which is the opposite of gathering fragments together.
Commonly confused with
- glint: 'Glint' is a tiny flash of light, whereas 'glean' is the act of gathering.
Word family
- gleaner (noun): A person who gathers leftover grain or information.
- gleaning (noun): The act of collecting leftovers, or the items collected.
Collocations
- glean information
- glean insights
- glean facts
Example sentences
- "She went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers." A classic literary description of gathering leftovers. (The King James Bible, Ruth 2:3)
- "From the old diaries, the historian was able to glean valuable details about daily life in the nineteenth century." Describing the process of gathering data.
Memory hook
Imagine leaning down ('g-LEAN') to pick up tiny scraps of grain from the ground. Lean down to glean.
When not to use
Do not use when you are gathering a large amount of obvious information quickly; use 'collect' or 'retrieve' instead.
Fun facts
- In France, the right to glean (glanage) is still protected by law in some rural areas, allowing people to gather leftover crops after the commercial harvest.
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