• (RP) IPA: /tʃæf/, /tʃɑːf/
• (America) IPA: /tʃæf/

chaff (uncountable)

1. The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.

   cot en

   To separate out the chaff, early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.

   • So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.

2. Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
3. (figurative) Any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
   • c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene ix]:

     the chaff and ruin of the times

4. Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
5. (military) Loose material, e.g. small strips of aluminum foil dropped from aircraft, intended to interfere with radar detection.

   Synonyms: window

• French: balle, bale
• German: Spreu, Spelze
• Italian: pula
• Portuguese: moinha, palha
• Russian: мяки́на
• Spanish: paja, barcia, (Mexico) bagazo

• Russian: отбро́сы

• German: Düppel

• Spanish: pienso

chaff (chaffs, present participle chaffing; past and past participle chaffed)

1. (intransitive) To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.
2. (transitive) To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.