winnowed

Winnowed is the past participle of the verb winnow. It denotes the act of separating desirable elements from undesirable ones, typically by air flow or blowing wind. In agriculture, winnowing is used to separate grain from chaff during threshing. Traditionally, mixed grain was tossed into the air so the lighter chaff would be blown away, while the heavier grain fell back for collection. In modern systems, winnowing is performed with devices such as winnowing baskets, fans, or mechanical cleaners, which use controlled air flow to achieve separation. The result is cleaned grain ready for milling or storage; chaff and other light material are removed as byproducts.

Figuratively, winnowed is used to describe narrowing a set of possibilities by removing less suitable options. Phrases like "winnowing the list" or "winnowed down to a few candidates" appear in journalism, politics, and research. The term emphasizes selective elimination to improve quality or relevance, rather than random reduction. While rooted in agriculture, today the concept also appears in data processing, such as winnowing sources or results to those that meet criteria.