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Definition of thresh verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

thresh

verb
 
/θreʃ/
 
/θreʃ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they thresh
 
/θreʃ/
 
/θreʃ/
he / she / it threshes
 
/ˈθreʃɪz/
 
/ˈθreʃɪz/
past simple threshed
 
/θreʃt/
 
/θreʃt/
past participle threshed
 
/θreʃt/
 
/θreʃt/
-ing form threshing
 
/ˈθreʃɪŋ/
 
/ˈθreʃɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive] thresh something to separate grains of rice, wheat, etc. from the rest of the plant using a machine or, especially in the past, by hitting it with a special tool
    Collocations FarmingFarmingGrowing food and raising animals
    • plant trees/​seeds/​crops/​vines/​barley
    • grow/​produce corn/​wheat/​rice/​fruit
    • plough/(North American English) plow land/​a field
    • sow/​harvest seeds/​crops/​fields
    • spread manure/​fertilizer on something
    • cultivate/​irrigate/​water/​contaminate crops/​plants/​fields/​land
    • damage/​destroy/​lose your crop
    • ripen/​pick fruit/​berries/​grapes
    • press/​dry/​ferment grapes
    • grind/​thresh grain/​corn/​wheat
    • raise/​rear/​keep chickens/​poultry/​cattle/​pigs
    • raise/​breed/​feed/​graze livestock/​cattle/​sheep
    • kill/​slaughter livestock
    • preserve/​smoke/​cure/​salt meat
    Modern farming
    • run a fish farm/​an organic dairy farm
    • engage in/​be involved in intensive (pig/​fish) farming
    • use/​apply (chemical/​organic) fertilizer/​insecticides/​pesticides
    • begin/​do/​conduct field trials of GM (= genetically modified) crops
    • grow/​develop GM crops/​seeds/​plants/​foods
    • fund/​invest in genetic engineering/​research
    • improve/​increase crop yields
    • face/​suffer from/​alleviate food shortages
    • label food that contains GMOs (= genetically modified organisms)
    • eliminate/​reduce farm subsidies
    • oppose/​be against factory farming/​GM food
    • promote/​encourage/​support organic/​sustainable farming
    Topics Farmingc2
  2. [intransitive, transitive] thresh (something) to move or make something move in a way that is violent or shows a loss of control synonym thrash
  3. Word OriginOld English therscan, later threscan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dorsen and German dreschen. Compare with thrash.
See thresh in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
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