Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Chaff
Chaff
,Noun.
[AC.
ceaf
; akin to D. kaf
, G. kaff
.] 1.
The glumes or husks of grains and grasses separated from the seed by threshing and winnowing, etc.
So take the corn and leave the
chaff
behind. Dryden.
Old birds are not caught with
caff
. Old Proverb.
2.
Anything of a comparatively light and worthless character; the refuse part of anything.
The
chaff
and ruin of the times. Shakespeare
3.
Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
By adding
chaff
to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way chaff
is very useful. Ywatt.
4.
Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
5.
(Bot.)
The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Compositæ, as the sunflower.
Gray.
Chaff cutter
, a machine for cutting, up straw, etc., into “chaff” for the use of cattle.
Chaff
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Chaffed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Chaffing
.] To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.
Chaff
,Verb.
T.
To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.
Morgan saw that his master was
chaffing
him. Thackeray.
A dozen honest fellows . . .
chaffed
each other about their sweethearts. C. Kingsley.
Webster 1828 Edition
Chaff
CHAFF
, n.1.
The husk, or dry calyx of corn, and grasses. In common language, the word is applied to the husks when separated from the corn by thrashing, riddling or winnowing. The word is sometimes used rather improperly to denote straw cut small for the food of cattle.2.
Refuse; worthless matter; especially that which is light, and apt to be driven by the wind. In scripture, false doctrines, fruitless designs, hypocrites and ungodly men are compared to chaff. Ps. 1:4; Jer. 23:28; Is. 33:11; Mat. 3:12.Definition 2024
chaff
chaff
English
Noun
chaff (uncountable)
- The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
- To separate out the chaff, early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.
- Dryden
- So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.
- By extension, any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
- There are plenty of good books on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the chaff.
- Shakespeare
- the chaff and ruin of the times
- Loose material, e.g. small strips of aluminum foil, dropped from aircraft specifically to interfere with radar detection.
- Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
- Wyatt
- By adding chaff to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way chaff is very useful.
- Wyatt
- Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
Derived terms
See also
Translations
inedible parts of grain plant
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excess or unwanted material
straw or hay cut up for cattle food
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Verb
chaff (third-person singular simple present chaffs, present participle chaffing, simple past and past participle chaffed)
- (intransitive) To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.
- (transitive) To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.
Translations
to use idle language to ridicule
to make fun of
-
Chaff in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.