cull

/kʌl/
noun
  1. An act of selecting and removing something, especially animals, from a group.
    • The annual deer cull helps maintain the forest ecosystem.
    • The government ordered a cull of invasive species in the lake.
    • There was a cull of old files to make space in the office.
verb
  1. To select or gather from a group, often the best or most useful ones.
    • She culled information from several sources for her report.
    • The editor culled the best articles from the submissions.
    • Farmers cull the healthiest animals for breeding.
  2. To remove or kill (animals) from a group to control the population or improve the group.
    • Wildlife officials cull deer in the park to prevent overpopulation.
    • The farmer had to cull some chickens to keep the flock healthy.
    • Some people oppose the plan to cull seals along the coast.