- to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.
- to gather small amounts of (grain or the like) left behind after a harvest, nowadays often for charitable use.
- to clear (a field, orchard, etc.) of leftover produce in this way: Millet’s painting The Gleaners depicts three peasant women stooping low as they glean a field of wheat.
- to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly.
- to collect or gather anything little by little or slowly.
- to gather what is left by reapers.
- to gather (something) slowly and carefully in small pieces
- to gather (the useful remnants of a crop) from the field after harvesting
