gleaner: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Literary, sometimes neutral in academic contexts.
Quick answer
What does “gleaner” mean?
A person who collects leftover crops from a field after the main harvest.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who collects leftover crops from a field after the main harvest.
A person who gathers information, knowledge, or material bit by bit from various scattered or meagre sources.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The agricultural term is historically applicable in both regions, though less common in modern farming contexts.
Connotations
Both varieties carry a slightly old-fashioned or literary connotation when used literally. The metaphorical sense is neutral in formal/academic writing.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties. More likely found in written English than spoken.
Grammar
How to Use “gleaner” in a Sentence
gleaner of [information/data/knowledge/crops]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gleaner” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Researchers must glean what they can from the fragmented archive.
- Farmers traditionally allowed the poor to glean the fields.
American English
- She managed to glean some useful tips from the discussion.
- Historical societies sometimes reenact the practice of gleaning.
adverb
British English
- [No established adverbial form.]
American English
- [No established adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- [No established adjectival form of 'gleaner'. 'Gleaning' is the present participle/gerund.]
American English
- [No established adjectival form of 'gleaner'. 'Gleaning' is the present participle/gerund.]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically in data analysis or market research contexts (e.g., 'a gleaner of consumer insights').
Academic
Used metaphorically to describe a researcher who carefully gathers disparate pieces of evidence or data from various sources.
Everyday
Very rare. Primarily understood in its metaphorical sense.
Technical
In agriculture/history: a specific term for post-harvest crop collectors. In data/IT: a metaphorical term for a data scraper or aggregator.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gleaner”
- Using 'gleaner' for someone who collects large amounts or primary sources (e.g., 'He was the gleaner of the award' is incorrect).
- Pronouncing it with a hard 'g' as in 'glad' (correct is /ɡliː/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word. It is mostly found in formal, academic, or literary contexts.
Yes, its most common modern use is metaphorical, referring to someone who gathers information, data, or knowledge from various sparse or scattered sources.
A 'collector' gathers items broadly and purposefully. A 'gleaner' specifically gathers what is left over, missed, or scattered, implying a more meticulous and secondary gathering process.
Yes, the verb is 'to glean'. A gleaner is 'one who gleans'.
A person who collects leftover crops from a field after the main harvest.
Gleaner is usually formal, literary, sometimes neutral in academic contexts. in register.
Gleaner: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡliː.nər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡliː.nɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to 'gleaner']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'GLEANER' as a 'GREEN' worker in a field, but they come AFTER the main harvest to pick up what's left. They GLEAN the leftover beans.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A CROP; LEARNING IS HARVESTING; A RESEARCHER IS A FARMER/GLEANER.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'gleaner' CORRECTLY?