1
: selected or chosen from a group
The … weighty but not overstuffed shelves of carefully culled selections—Dan Brown, yes; Danielle Steele, no, per the curator of manuscripts—beseech that titles be taken down and opened …—Sarah Schweitzer
… the Yahk camp has been warned by Conservation Officers for dumping their culled berries near the town, creating a significant bear attraction.—The Creston Valley (British Columbia) Advance
2
a
of a population
: reduced in size by removal (as by hunting or slaughter) of especially weak or sick individuals
… a new levy would be issued to dairy farmers to cover some of the compensation costs for culled herds … , the report said.—Sally Rae
… here no vast forests were left standing; instead, carefully culled stands of oaks provided a bounteous crop of acorns for many thousands of pigs let loose to graze among them during the winter.—C. McCullough
b
: removed (as by hunting or slaughter) for culling (see cull entry 1 sense 2)
The culling program has been controversial from the start. Each winter, some of the culled animals are killed by hunters …; others are slaughtered for meat.—Camila Domonoske
… the ministry ordered the slaughter of about 22,300 cows in a bid to control the spread of the disease. … The meat from the culled cattle can be consumed because the disease does not infect humans …—The Ashburton (New Zealand) Courier
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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