sieve

noun

A utensil of wire mesh or closely perforated metal or plastic, used for straining, sifting, ricing, or puréeing.

intransitive verb

To pass through a sieve.

intransitive verb

To use a sieve; sift.

To cause the finer parts of to pass through or as if through a sieve; sift.

noun

An instrument for separating the finer from the coarser parts of disintegrated matter, by shaking it so as to force the former through meshes too small for the latter to pass. Sieves are made in many forms for a great variety of uses. See hair-siere, scarce, screen, bolting-cloth, etc.

noun

Something for other use shaped like or in some way resembling the common circular sieve.

noun

A wide sheepskin-covered hoop used in some localities for holding wool.

noun

In calico-printing, a cloth extending over a vat which contains the color.

noun

Figuratively, a thing which lacks closeness of texture, or a person who lacks closeness of disposition; especially, a very frank or free-spoken person; one who lets out all that he knows.

noun

A utensil for separating the finer and coarser parts of a pulverized or granulated substance from each other. It consist of a vessel, usually shallow, with the bottom perforated, or made of hair, wire, or the like, woven in meshes.