CategoryArchaic Word / Agricultural Term
Modern Equivalentseparate grain from chaff.
KJV Word TypeVerb
DefinitionTo separate grain from chaff by tossing or exposing it to wind; figuratively, to sift, test, or separate.
Key Verses"Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor." (Matthew 3:12)
KJV Usage NoteThe concept appears in harvest imagery where grain is separated from chaff, even when the related tool "fan" is used in the verse.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not mean simply to blow air; it refers to separating useful grain from waste chaff.
EtymologyFrom Old English windwian, meaning "to fan or separate by wind."