noun
gleaning; picking up fallen grain after harvest
Refers to the traditional practice of gathering leftover crops from the field after the main harvest. Also used metaphorically for collecting small remnants or overlooked items.
昔は、収穫の後に落ち穂拾いをするのが貧しい人々の糧になっていた。
In the past, gleaning after the harvest provided sustenance for the poor.
彼は古本屋で絶版の資料を落ち穂拾いのように集めている。
He collects out-of-print materials from secondhand bookstores like gleaning.