cull

1 of 2

verb

culled; culling; culls

transitive verb

1
: to select from a group : choose
culled the best passages from the poet's work
Damaged fruits are culled before the produce is shipped.
2
: to reduce or control the size of (something, such as a herd) by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals
The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population.
culling a herd of cattle
also : to hunt or kill (individuals) for culling
culling diseased cows
culled hundreds of deer
culler noun

cull

2 of 2

noun

: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless
… how to separate good-looking pecans from culls.The Washington Post

Examples of cull in a Sentence

Verb He culls his herd annually. The town issued hunting licenses in order to cull the deer population. Noun the unbruised apples will be packed in bags, and the culls will be used for cider
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The workers were removing carcasses and litter and cleaning facilities where about 800,000 chickens were culled, the health department said. Reuters, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024 The company began surveying travelers on their attitudes towards safety nine years ago, and, in 2018, began culling together lists of the world’s safest places. Brittany Anas, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
But the other major Play Store update this year has been a cull of low-quality, high-risk apps. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 That warning came weeks before the ailing giant announced plans on Monday to close at least three factories in Germany and cull tens of thousands of jobs. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 13 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for cull 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French culier, coillir, from Latin colligere to bind together — more at collect

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cull was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cull

Cite this Entry

“Cull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cull. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cull

1 of 2 verb
1
: to select from a group : choose
2
: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal of usually weaker animals
a hunt to cull the growing deer population
culler noun

cull

2 of 2 noun
: something rejected from a group or lot as being not as good as the rest

More from Merriam-Webster on cull

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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