chaff

Meanings

Noun

• The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
• Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
• Any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
• Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
• Loose material, e.g. small strips of aluminum foil dropped from aircraft, intended to interfere with radar detection.

Verb

• To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.
• To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.

Origin

• From Middle English chaf, from Old English ċeaf, from Proto-West Germanic *kaf, from Proto-Germanic *kafą. Cognate with Scots caff, Saterland Frisian Sääf, West Frisian tsjêf, Dutch kaf, German Low German Kaff, regional German Kaff.