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chaff

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishchaf, fromOld Englishċeaf, fromProto-West Germanic*kaf. Cognate withScotscaff,Saterland FrisianSääf,West Frisiantsjêf,Dutchkaf,German Low GermanKaff, regionalGermanKaff.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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chaff (usuallyuncountable,pluralchaffs)

  1. Theinedible parts of agrain-producing plant.
    Coordinate term:bran
    To separate out thechaff, early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighterchaff.
  2. Straw orhay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
    • 1831,William Youatt,The Horse,page130:
      By addingchaff to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it, and time is given for the commencement of digestion, before fermentation can occur. In this waychaff is very useful, especially after long fasts.
  3. (figurative) Any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anythingworthless.
  4. Light jesting talk;banter;raillery.
  5. (military) Loose material, e.g. small strips of aluminum foil dropped fromaircraft, intended tointerfere withradardetection.
    Synonym:window
    Hyponym:rope

Derived terms

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Translations

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inedible parts of grain plant
straw or hay cut up for cattle food
excess or unwanted material
light jesting talk
loose material dropped from aircraft to interfere with radar

See also

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Verb

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chaff (third-person singular simple presentchaffs,present participlechaffing,simple past and past participlechaffed)

  1. (intransitive) To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; tobanter.
  2. (transitive) To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language.
    Synonym:quiz
    • 1848 November –1850 December,William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 10, inThe History of Pendennis. […], volume(please specify |volume=I or II), London:Bradbury and Evans, […], published1849–1850,→OCLC:
      We were talking about it at mess, yesterday, andchaffing Derby Oaks—until he was as mad as a hatter.
    • 1851,Henry Mayhew,London Labour and the London Poor, published1861:
      I’ve fallen asleep on my step as the ’bus was going on, and almost fallen off. I have often to put up with insolence from vulgar fellows, who think it fun tochaff a cad, as they call it.
    • 1889,Rudyard Kipling, “Only A Subaltern”, inUnder the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published1899, page148:
      Bobby Wick stormed through the tents of his Company, rallying, rebuking, mildly, as is consistent with the Regulations,chaffing the faint-hearted[.]
  3. (transitive) To cut up (straw or hay) for use as cattle feed.

Derived terms

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Translations

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to use idle language to ridicule
to make fun of

References

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Middle English

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Noun

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chaff

  1. alternative form ofchaf
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