cull
pronunciation
How to pronounce cull in British English:
UK [kʌl]
How to pronounce cull in American English:
US [kʌl]
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- Noun:
- the person or thing rejected or set aside as inferior in quality
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- Verb:
- remove something that has been rejected
- look for and gather
Word Origin
- cull
- cull: [15] Ultimately, cull is the same word as collect. It comes via Old French cuillir from Latin colligere ‘gather together’, whose past participial stem collēct- formed the original basis of English collect. The Latin verb was a compound formed from the prefix com- ‘together’ and legere ‘gather’ (source also of English elect, neglect, select, etc).=> collect, elect, lecture, legend, neglect, select
- cull (v.)
- early 14c., "choose, select, pick; collect and gather the best things from a number or quantity," especially with reference to literary selections, from Old French cuiler "collect, gather, pluck, select" (12c., Modern French cueillir), from Latin colligere "gather together, collect," originally "choose, select" (see collect). Meaning "select livestock according to quality" is from 1889; notion of "select and kill (animals)," usually in the name of reducing overpopulation or improving the stock, is from 1934. Related: Culled; culling.
- cull (n.)
- "dupe, saphead," rogues' slang from late 16c., perhaps a shortening of cullion "base fellow," originally "testicle" (from French couillon, from Old French coillon "testicle; worthless fellow, dolt," from Latin coleus, literally "strainer bag;" see cojones), though another theory traces it to Romany (Gypsy) chulai "man." Also sometimes in the form cully, however some authorities assert cully was the canting term for "dupe" and cull was generic "man, fellow," without implication of gullibility. Compare also gullible.
- cull (n.)
- 1610s, "a selection," from cull (v.). From 1791 as "flock animal selected as inferior;" 1958 as "a killing of animals deemed inferior."
Example
- 1. Whenever possible , cull whatever is not working .
- 2. Criminal gangs using sophisticated viruses cull credit-card and other sensitive data to steal from bank accounts .
- 3. But it would make economic sense to stop the cull .
- 4. Many subsidies undeservedly survived the cull .
- 5. Everyone expected a cull but it was slow in coming , partly because marginal shops held on by dodging tax .