cull

Meanings

Verb

• To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
• To gather, collect.
• To select animals from a group and then kill them in order to reduce the numbers of the group in a controlled manner.
• To kill (animals etc).
• To lay off in order to reduce the size of, get rid of.

Noun

• A selection.
• An organised killing of selected animals.
• An individual animal selected to be killed, or item of produce to be discarded.
• A lobster having only one claw.
• A piece unfit for inclusion within a larger group; an inferior specimen.
• A fool, gullible person; a dupe.

Origin

• From Middle English cullen, cuilen, coilen, from Old French cuillir, from Latin colligō. coil.
• Perhaps an abbreviation of cully.