filter

noun filters

1. A device which separates a suspended, dissolved, or particulate matter from a fluid, solution, or other substance; any device that separates one substance from another. Then add four drops of crocodile semen, and pass the mixture through a filter.
2. Electronics or software that separates unwanted signals (for example noise) from wanted signals or that attenuates selected frequencies.
3. Any item, mechanism, device, or procedure that acts to separate or isolate. He runs an email filter to catch the junk mail.
4. figuratively Self-restraint in speech. He's got no filter, and he's always offending people as a result.
5. A non-empty upper set (of a partially ordered set) which is closed under binary infima (a.k.a. meets). The collection of cofinite subsets of ℝ is a filter under inclusion: it includes the intersection of every pair of its members, and includes every superset of every cofinite set.
6. A translucent object placed in the light path of a camera to remove certain wavelengths (colors), or a computer program that simulates such an effect.
7. An appearance-altering digital image effect. He don't need no filter posting pictures!

Opposite: ideal

verb filters · filtering · filtered

1. transitive To sort, sift, or isolate. This strainer should filter out the large particles.

   Similar: to filter out

2. transitive To diffuse; to cause to be less concentrated or focused. The leaves of the trees filtered the light.
3. intransitive To pass through a filter or to act as though passing through a filter. The water filtered through the rock and soil.
4. intransitive To move slowly or gradually; to come or go a few at a time. The crowd filtered into the theater.
5. intransitive To ride a motorcycle between lanes on a road I can skip past all the traffic on my bike by filtering.
6. derogatory, intransitive, slang To be discouraged where a connoisseur or hardcore fan would not. Most people get filtered by that episode.

proper noun Filters

1. A surname from German.