chaff
2
[ chaf, chahf ]
/ tʃæf, tʃɑf /
verb (used with or without object)
to mock, tease, or jest in a good-natured way; banter: She chaffed him for working late. They joked and chaffed with each other.
noun
good-natured ridicule or teasing; raillery.
Origin of chaff
2
First recorded in 1640–50; perhaps from
chaff1
OTHER WORDS FROM chaff
chaff·ing·ly, adverb un·chaffed, adjective un·chaff·ing, adjectiveWords nearby chaff
chaetopod,
chaetotaxy,
chafe,
chafer,
chafeweed,
chaff,
chaffer,
chaffinch,
chaffy,
chafing dish,
chaga
Example sentences from the Web for chaffing
British Dictionary definitions for chaffing (1 of 2)
chaff
1
/ (tʃɑːf) /
noun
the mass of husks, etc, separated from the seeds during threshing
finely cut straw and hay used to feed cattle
something of little worth; rubbish (esp in the phrase separate the wheat from the chaff)
the dry membranous bracts enclosing the flowers of certain composite plants
thin strips of metallic foil released into the earth's atmosphere to confuse radar signals and prevent detection
Derived forms of chaff
chaffy, adjectiveWord Origin for chaff
Old English
ceaf; related to Old High German
keva husk
British Dictionary definitions for chaffing (2 of 2)
chaff
2
/ (tʃɑːf) /
noun
light-hearted teasing or joking; banter
verb
to tease good-naturedly; banter
Derived forms of chaff
chaffer, nounWord Origin for chaff
C19: probably slang variant of
chafe, perhaps influenced by
chaff
1