filter

A filter is something that separates solids from liquids, or eliminates impurities, or allows only certain things to pass through. (noun)

A Brita that you attach to your water faucet to remove impurities from your water is an example of a water filter.
When you stop to think about the impact of your words before you say them, this is an example of a filter between your brain and your mouth.

To filter is to remove impurities or unwanted material, to gradually leave a place or to gradually become known. (verb)

When you run water through a cloth to remove dirt and other debris, this is an example of a time when you filter water.
When you look through applications and weed out the ones you know your boss won't like, this is an example of a time when you filter.
When people slowly exit a movie theater after a show ends, this is an example of a time when they filter out of the theatre.
When news of the casualties after a plane crash starts to slowly become known, this is an example of a time when the news filters out.

See filter in Webster's New World College Dictionary

See filter in American Heritage Dictionary 4

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