1. A strainer for separating lumps from powdered material or grading particles
   "She used a fine-mesh sieve to sift the flour";
   - screen

1. Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements
   "sieve the flour";
   - sift, strain
    
2. Check and sort carefully
   "The hiring manager had to sieve through hundreds of applications";
   - sift
    
3. Examine in order to test suitability
   "The hiring manager sieved through hundreds of applications";
   - screen, screen out, sort
    
4. Distinguish and separate out
   "sieve through the job candidates";
   - sift

Derived forms: sieved, sieving, sieves

Type of: analyse [Brit, Cdn], analyze [N. Amer], canvass, choose, examine, pick out, select, separate, strainer, study, take

Encyclopedia: Sieve