1. (v. t.) To separate with a sieve, as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal or flour; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.

2. (v. t.) To separate or part as if with a sieve.

3. (v. t.) To examine critically or minutely; to scrutinize.

air analyze appraise assess assort bolt canvass catalog categorize choose choose out clarify class classify clear collate comb comment upon consider contradistinguish controvert cordon cordon off cull cull out deal with debate decide between decrassify deliberate deliberate upon delve into demarcate demark depurate differentiate dig into discourse about discriminate discuss distill distinguish divide draw the line edulcorate elute essentialize evaluate examine excerpt exchange views explore extract factor fathom filter filtrate gauge ghettoize gin glean go into gradate grade group handle handpick identify indagate inquire into insulate investigate isolate keep apart keep aside knock around lay aside leach lixiviate look into make a selection mark the interface pass under review peer into percolate pick pick out plumb poke into probe prospect pry into purify put aside quarantine rank rap reason reason about reason the point rectify refine review riddle screen screen out scrutinize search into seclude segregate select separate set a limit set apart set aside set off sever severalize sieve sieve out sift out single out size sort sort out sound spiritualize split hairs strain study subdivide sublimate sublime subordinate subtilize take up talk talk about talk of talk over thrash thrash out thresh thresh out treat try ventilate weed out weigh winnow