[sieve] n [ME sive, fr. OE sife; akin to OHG sib sieve] (bef. 12c): 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
[2]sieve vb sieved ; siev.ing (15c): sift