chaff

chaff

husks of grain; worthless matter: like chaff in the wind

Not to be confused with:

chafe – to irritate: the starched collar will chafe his neck; annoy; abrade; to heat by rubbing

chaff ¹

 (chăf)

n.

1. Botany Thin dry bracts or scales, especially:

a. The dry bracts enclosing mature grains of wheat and some other cereal grasses, removed during threshing.

b. The scales or bracts borne on the receptacle among the small individual flowers of many plants in the composite family.

2. Finely cut straw or hay used as fodder.

3. Trivial or worthless matter: ignored the picky, unimportant criticisms that were just a lot of chaff.

4. Strips of metal, foil, or glass fiber with a metal content, cut into various lengths and having varying frequency responses, that are used to reflect electromagnetic energy as a radar countermeasure. These materials, usually dropped from aircraft, also can be deployed from shells or rockets.

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[Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf.]

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chaf′fy adj.

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chaff ²

 (chăf)

v. chaffed, chaff·ing, chaffs

v.tr.

To make fun of in a good-natured way; tease: chaffed him for forgetting the appointment.

v.intr.

To engage in playful teasing.

n.

Good-natured teasing; banter.

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[Possibly alteration of chafe or chaff.]

chaff

(tʃɑːf)

n

1. (Agriculture) the mass of husks, etc, separated from the seeds during threshing

2. (Agriculture) finely cut straw and hay used to feed cattle

3. something of little worth; rubbish (esp in the phrase separate the wheat from the chaff)

4. (Botany) the dry membranous bracts enclosing the flowers of certain composite plants

5. (Military) thin strips of metallic foil released into the earth's atmosphere to confuse radar signals and prevent detection

[Old English ceaf; related to Old High German keva husk]

ˈchaffy adj

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chaff

(tʃɑːf)

n

light-hearted teasing or joking; banter

vb

to tease good-naturedly; banter

[C19: probably slang variant of chafe, perhaps influenced by chaff¹]

ˈchaffer n

chaff¹

(tʃæf, tʃɑf)

n.

1. the husks of grains and grasses that are separated during threshing.

2. straw cut up for fodder.

3. worthless matter; refuse.

4. the membranous, usu. dry, brittle bracts of the flowers of certain plants.

5. strips of metal foil dropped by an aircraft to confuse enemy radar.

[before 1000; Middle English chaf, Old English ceaf, c. Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, Middle High German kaf]

chaff′y, adj. -i•er, -i•est.

chaff²

(tʃæf)

v.t, v.i.

1. to tease; banter.

n.

2. good-natured teasing; raillery.

[1640–50; perhaps from chaff¹]

chaff′ing•ly, adv.

chafe, chaff - To chafe means to rub until sore or worn; to chaff means to tease good-naturedly.

See also related terms for sore.

chaff

Radar confusion reflectors, consisting of thin, narrow metallic strips of various lengths and frequency responses, which are used to reflect echoes for confusion purposes. Causes enemy radar guided missiles to lock on to it instead of the real aircraft, ship, or other platform. See also deception; rope.

chaff

Past participle: chaffed
Gerund: chaffing

Imperative

chaff

chaff

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	chaff - material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds husk, shuck, stalk, stubble, straw bran - broken husks of the seeds of cereal grains that are separated from the flour by sifting plant material, plant substance - material derived from plants
	2.	chaff - foil in thin strips; ejected into the air as a radar countermeasure foil - a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal; "the photographic film was wrapped in foil"
Verb	1.	chaff - be silly or tease one another; "After we relaxed, we just kidded around" banter, jolly, josh, kid bait, tantalise, tantalize, taunt, razz, twit, tease, cod, rag, rally, ride - harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie"

chaff

noun husks, remains, refuse, waste, hulls, rubbish, trash, dregs The harvester separates the straw and chaff from the grain.

chaff

verb

To tease or mock good-humoredly:

banter, joke, josh.

Informal: kid, rib, ride.

Slang: jive, rag, razz.

noun

Good-natured teasing:

badinage, banter, raillery, taunt.

Informal: ribbing.

Translations

SpreuKaffSpelze

hojarascaimepaja

paillette

מוץ

pljeva

pelyva

celialoppapula

kaf

pleavă

pleva

pleva

chaff

[tʃɑːf]

A. N

1. (= husks) → cascarilla f, ahechaduras fpl; (= animal food) → pienso m, forraje m
see also wheat

2. (fig) → paja f

B. VT → zumbarse de, tomar el pelo a

chaff

¹

n

(= husks of grain) → Spreu f ? wheat

(= straw) → Häcksel m or nt

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chaff

²

n (= banter: also chaffing) → Scherze pl, → Flachserei f (inf)

vt → aufziehen (about mit)

chaff

[tʃɑːf] n (husks) → pula, loppa; (animal food) → foraggio