chaff

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain
2
: something comparatively worthless
a few kernels of wisdom amid much discursive chaffSteven Raichlen
3
: the scales borne on the receptacle among the florets in the heads of many composite plants
4
: material (such as strips of foil or clusters of fine wires) ejected into the air for reflecting radar waves (as for confusing an enemy's radar detection)
planes equipped with chaff dispensers
chaffy adjective

chaff

2 of 3

noun (2)

: light jesting talk : banter

chaff

3 of 3

verb

chaffed; chaffing; chaffs

transitive verb

: to tease good-naturedly

Examples of chaff in a Sentence

Verb chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Releasing objects like chaff fall into that latter category, military officials say. Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2023 Too often, today (and in the past), our leadership hasn't been able to separate the wheat of ideas (and frankly, their simplicity) from the chaff of policy. Amity Shlaes, National Review, 27 Oct. 2023 Suffice it to say that this book contains both wheat and chaff, both gold and dross. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 9 Oct. 2023 Next up comes winnowing, which is the process of separating the seeds from the chaff — a dry protective cover around a seed — and fluff. Lauren David, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023 The performances of the family members, including Julio Cesar Cedillo as the Hernández patriarch, help separate it from the chaff, though perhaps not by a million miles. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Academic chaff of all sorts—cultural, scientific—is being ground to powder day and night. Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023 The Concours d’Elegance exists to celebrate the wheat, not the chaff, and so the chaff has been assiduously discarded. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022 Teachers, politicians, literary critics and other vested authorities labor mightily to separate the edifying wheat from the distracting chaff, to control, police, correct and corral the transgressive energies that propel the turning of pages. A.o. Scott, New York Times, 21 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chaff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf; akin to Old High German cheva husk

Noun (2)

probably from chaff entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1821, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1820, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of chaff was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near chaff

Cite this Entry

“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chaff

1 of 3 noun
1
: the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain
2
: something worthless
chaffy adjective

chaff

2 of 3 noun
: light jesting talk : banter

chaff

3 of 3 verb
: to tease good-naturedly

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