cull /kʌl/ ( culling, culled, culls )

• 1. 

  V-T If items or ideas are culled from a particular source or number of sources, they are taken and gathered together. 采集 [usu passive]

  例：

  All this, needless to say, had been culled second-hand from radio reports.

  不必说，这一切都是从无线电广播报道中搜集来的第二手信息。

• 2. 

  V-T To cull animals means to kill the weaker animals in a group in order to reduce their numbers. 宰杀 (病弱动物以减少其数目)

  例：

  To save remaining herds and habitat, the national parks department is planning to cull 2000 elephants.

  为挽救余下的兽群及其栖息地，国家公园管理部门正计划杀掉2000头大象。

• 3. 

  N-COUNT Cull is also a noun. (对病弱动物的) 宰杀

  例：

  In the reserves of Zimbabwe and South Africa, annual culls are already routine.

  在津巴布韦和南非的自然保护区，对病弱动物每年所进行的宰杀剔除已成惯例。

• 4. 

  culling N-UNCOUNT 杀死

  例：

  The culling of seal cubs has led to an outcry from environmental groups.

  宰杀海豹幼仔的行为已引起了环保团体的强烈抗议。