An older agricultural term for winnowing, the process of tossing threshed grain into the air so that the breeze blows away the lighter chaff and dirt while the heavier edible grain falls straight down onto a tarp or threshing floor. It relies entirely on a steady natural breeze or a hand-cranked fan.
Heard on the job
We spent the whole afternoon winding the barley on the barn floor until the grain was clean enough to mill.
Also heard as
- winnowing
Related terms
Winnow
The process of using airflow to separate heavy grain from lighter chaff and dust.
Threshing floor
A hard, flat surface where harvested grain is beaten to separate the edible kernels from the stalks.
Thresh
To mechanically shatter harvested crop heads to separate the edible grain from the stalk and chaff.