verb
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glean
gleen
Glean (verb) means to gather information or knowledge gradually, often bit by bit and with some effort. Example: “Reporters gleaned what they could from unnamed sources.”
verb
1
To gather information or knowledge gradually, often bit by bit and with some effort.
"Reporters gleaned what they could from unnamed sources."
"From the old letters, historians gleaned new details about her life."
2
To collect leftover crops from a field after the main harvest.
"Villagers used to glean the fields for grain the harvesters had missed."
How to use glean
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo pick up information (or, literally, leftover crops) little by little.
Common mistake
Almost always used figuratively today, for gathering facts or ideas — not literally about farming.
Common pairings
glean information
glean details
glean insight
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Word forms
- Plural
- gleans
- Third person singular
- gleans
- Past tense
- gleaned
- Archaic forms
- gleanest, gleanedst, gleaneth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Reporters _____ what they could from unnamed sources.
Etymology
From Old French glener, "to gather," ultimately from Late Latin glennare, "to make a collection."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for glean
See all rhymes for glean →Frequently asked questions
What does “glean” mean?
The word “glean” means to gather information or knowledge gradually, often bit by bit and with some effort. In plain terms, to pick up information (or, literally, leftover crops) little by little.
How do you pronounce “glean”?
“Glean” is pronounced gleen (/ɡlin/ in IPA).
How do you use “glean” in a sentence?
Here is “glean” used in a sentence: “Reporters gleaned what they could from unnamed sources.”
What part of speech is “glean”?
“Glean” is a verb.
Where does the word “glean” come from?
The word “glean” comes from Late Latin. From Old French glener, "to gather," ultimately from Late Latin glennare, "to make a collection.".
How many meanings does “glean” have?
“Glean” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to gather information or knowledge gradually, often bit by bit and with some effort.
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