Meaning & Definition of word "Chaff"
Chaff
/tʃæf/
noun:
- 1. The husks of corn or other seed separated by winnowing or threshing.
- Example: After the harvest, the field was covered with chaff left by the grain.
- 2. Worthless or trivial matters; nonsense.
- Example: The debate was filled with chaff, distracting from the real issues at hand.
- 3. Material that is discarded or considered of little value.
- Example: He was able to separate the important information from the chaff in the report.
verb:
- 1. To remove the chaff from (grain) by a process of winnowing or threshing.
- Example: Farmers chaff the wheat to ensure that only the grains are collected.
- 2. To tease or make fun of someone.
- Example: The friends would often chaff each other about their sports teams.
Etymology
●Middle English: from Old English ceaf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kaf and German Kaffe.
Common Phrases and Expressions
separating the wheat from the chaff:
Distinguishing valuable from worthless.
chaff and chatter:
Trivial talk or noise.
Related Words
grain:
Edible seeds or fruits of cultivated plants.
thresh:
To separate grain from its husk.
husks:
The dry outer covering of a seed or grain.
Slang Meanings of chaff
Meaning: Nonsense or trivial matter.
● Example Sentence: He always talks so much chaff at parties.
Meaning: Something that lacks substance.
● Example Sentence: All those flashy ads are just chaff; the product doesn't live up to the hype.