n.
Pronunciation: ' siv
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English sive, from Old English sife; akin to Old High German sib sieve
Date: before 12th century
: a device with meshes or perforations through which finer particles of a mixture (as of ashes, flour, or sand) of various sizes may be passed to separate them from coarser ones, through which the liquid may be drained from liquid-containing material, or through which soft materials may be forced for reduction to fine particles