Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - glean

 verb  Etymology: Middle English glenen, from Anglo-French glener, from Late Latin glennare, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish doglenn he selects  Date: 14th century  intransitive verb  1. to gather grain or other produce left by reapers  2. to gather information or material bit by bit  transitive verb  1.  a. to pick up after a reaper  b. to strip (as a field) of the leavings of reapers  2.  a. to gather (as information) bit by bit  b. to pick over in search of relevant material ~ing old files for information  3. find out  • ~able adjective  • ~er noun