CapK, in one of his latest installments, which I am enjoying very much, and have to take this opportunity to congratulate him on, as they are a good deal better than most of the travel writings I have read) used the expression "the overwhelming impression we gleaned on our way in [to Las Vegas]".

CapK is obviously using the verb "glean" to mean "to gather"; but my understanding of it is that it doesn't really mean "to gather" per se, but to follow the reapers/mowers in a field and gather up what they leave behind, as in the famous story recounted in the book of Ruth. On consulting my old MW, I find that it gives the meaning "to gather slowly or laboriously in bits" besides the one I know. It seems to me the idea of gathering in, whether fast or slow, is much different from gleaning, as the latter really refers to taking up a small amount of leftovers.

Is this, like "decimate", which we have discussed at length in another thread, another case of a word which has changed from its original meaning to a related but very different meaning? Do/would the rest of you use "glean" as a synonym for "gather"? (No brickbats intended, CapK, just looking for info.)