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Sift vs Flit - What's the difference?

sift | flit |

As verbs the difference between sift and flit

is that sift is to sieve or strain (something) while flit is to move about rapidly and nimbly.

As a noun flit is

a fluttering or darting movement.

As an adjective flit is

(poetic|obsolete) fast, nimble.

sift

English

Verb

  • To sieve or strain (something).
  • To separate or scatter (things) as if by sieving.
  • To examine (something) carefully.
  • * 1748 . David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. ยง 28.
  • But if we still carry on our sifting humour, and ask, What is the foundation of all conclusions from experience ? this implies a new question.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1764 , author= , title= , pageurl=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/696/696-h/696-h.htm , page= , publisher=}}
    It immediately occurred to him to sift her on the subject of Isabella and Theodore.

    Derived terms

    * sifter

    Anagrams

    * *

    flit

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fluttering or darting movement.
  • (physics) A particular, unexpected, short lived change of state.
  • My computer just had a flit .
  • (slang) A homosexual.
  • Verb

  • To move about rapidly and nimbly.
  • * Tennyson
  • A shadow flits before me.
  • * 1912 : (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 6
  • There were many apes with faces similar to his own, and further over in the book he found, under "M," some little monkeys such as he saw daily flitting through the trees of his primeval forest. But nowhere was pictured any of his own people; in all the book was none that resembled Kerchak, or Tublat, or Kala.
  • To move quickly from one location to another.
  • * Hooker
  • It became a received opinion, that the souls of men, departing this life, did flit out of one body into some other.
  • (physics) To unpredictably change state for short periods of time.
  • My blender flits because the power cord is damaged.
  • (UK, Scotland, dialect) To move house (sometimes a sudden move to avoid debts).
  • (Wright)
    (Jamieson)
  • * 1855 , , page 199 (ISBN 0679405518)
  • After this manner did the late Warden of Barchester Hospital accomplish his flitting , and change his residence.
  • To be unstable; to be easily or often moved.
  • * Dryden
  • the free soul to flitting air resigned

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (poetic, obsolete) Fast, nimble.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.iv:
  • And in his hand two darts exceeding flit , / And deadly sharpe he held [...].

    Anagrams

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