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sieve (sĭv)
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n.
A utensil of wire mesh or closely perforated metal or plastic, used for straining, sifting, ricing, or puréeing.
v. sieved, siev·ing, sieves
v.tr.
To pass through a sieve.
v.intr.
To use a sieve; sift.
[Middle English sive, from Old English sife.]
(click for a larger image)
sieve
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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