cull

1 of 2

verb

ˈkəl 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• cherry-pick
• choose
• elect
• handpick
• name
• opt (for)
• pick
• prefer
• select
• single (out)
• tag
• take

Noun

• discard
• reject
• rejection
• second

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

Verb

All nine of the Washington State cases and nine of those in Colorado involved workers on farms that culled infected chickens. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

This annual tradition is not just about culling these toxic, non-native amphibians, but also about reclaiming a natural balance that was once upended by one of the greatest ecological missteps in the nation's history. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Noun

Dior’s famously feminist designer Maria Grazia Chiuri pretty much did away with heels in her collection… though a few discreet kittens did escape the cull. —Jason Ma, Fortune Europe, 1 Oct. 2024

Spain was one of the few countries in Europe to avoid the cull. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

cull

1 of 2 verb

ˈkəl 

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