Word: Gleaner
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A "gleaner" is someone who collects things slowly and carefully, often in small amounts. Traditionally, it referred to someone who gathers leftover grains from fields after the harvesters have taken the bulk of the crop.
Usage Instructions:
Use "gleaner" to describe a person who gathers things that others have missed or overlooked.
It can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who seeks out small pieces of information or details from a larger context.
Example Sentences:
In the countryside, a gleaner might walk through the fields after the harvest to collect the leftover grains.
As a researcher, she considered herself a gleaner, carefully piecing together small bits of information from various sources.
Advanced Usage:
In literature or discussions, "gleaner" can refer to someone who gathers insights or knowledge from different experiences or sources, not just physical items. For example, "As a gleaner of wisdom, he took notes from every conversation he had."
Word Variants:
Gleaning (verb): The act of gathering in small amounts; "She spent the afternoon gleaning information from various articles."
Gleaned (past tense): To have collected or gathered; "They gleaned valuable insights during the conference."
Different Meanings:
Literal Meaning: Referring to the physical act of gathering crops or materials.
Figurative Meaning: Referring to the collection of information, ideas, or knowledge in a meticulous way.
Synonyms:
Gatherer
Collector
Picker
Accumulator
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
While there aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs that use "gleaner," you might find phrases like "piece together" useful when discussing how gleaners collect information. For example: - "She was able to piece together the story by gleaning details from different interviews."
Summary:
A "gleaner" is someone who carefully collects small pieces of things, whether it's leftover crops in a field or bits of information in a conversation or research.