Chaff definition
When you joke around with someone and tease him, this is an example of a situation where you chaff.
There are plenty of good books on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the chaff.
- The dry bracts enclosing mature grains of wheat and some other cereal grasses, removed during threshing.
- The scales or bracts borne on the receptacle among the small individual flowers of many plants in the composite family.
Ignored the picky, unimportant criticisms that were just a lot of chaff.
Chaffed him for forgetting the appointment.
Trash that you do not want is an example of chaff.
Wheat grains found after threshing is an example of chaff.
Light-hearted teasing and banter is an example of chaff.
Origin of chaff
- Middle English chaf from Old English ceaf
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Possibly alteration of chafe or chaff
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Wiktionary