Glean

/ɡliːn/ verb

Definition

To collect information gradually by gathering small amounts from many sources, or to pick up leftover grain after harvest.

Etymology

From Old French 'glener,' possibly from Latin 'glena,' originally meant the agricultural practice of picking up leftover grain.

Kelly Says

Gleaning had strong moral and social dimensions in medieval society—leaving grain for the poor to glean was a religious obligation, and the practice appears throughout the Bible as an act of charity.

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