What is the Latin word for sift?

The usual Latin words for “sift” are crībrō, scrūtor, perscrūtor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“sift” in Latin

crībrōto sift or sieve scrūtorto search carefully, search into or out, examine thoroughly, explore a thing, investigate; to seek for perscrūtorto search (high and low); to examine or investigate (thoroughly)

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

sift

PROP., cribrare (post-Augustan): cernere cribro or per cribrum: cribro succernere, or succernere only: excernere cribro (to separate by sifting).

Figuratively, To investigate, rem excutere: scrutari: perscrutari. Vid. EXAMINE, INVESTIGATE.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for sift?: The usual Latin words for “sift” are crībrō, scrūtor, perscrūtor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.