chaff

/tʃæf/
verb
  1. To tease or make fun of someone in a good-natured way.
    • They spent the evening chaffing the new intern about his funny accent.
    • The friends chaffed each other about their favorite sports teams.
    • She chaffed her brother for his messy room, but he just laughed.
Synonyms
noun
  1. The husks of grain or other seeds that are separated during threshing or winnowing.
    • The farmer piled the chaff in a corner of the barn to use as animal bedding.
    • The old mill still separates the grain from the chaff with a wooden fan.
    • After winnowing, the chaff blew away in the wind, leaving only the wheat.
  2. Something worthless or of low quality; rubbish.
    • He sifted through the chaff of online reviews to find a trustworthy product.
    • The report was mostly chaff, with only a few useful facts buried in it.
    • Don't waste your time on that chaff; focus on the important details.
  3. Thin strips of metal or plastic released by aircraft or ships to confuse radar signals.
    • The fighter jet released chaff to distract the enemy missile's radar.
    • The ship's countermeasures included both chaff and flares.
    • Radar operators saw a cloud of chaff on their screens and knew a decoy was in use.
Synonyms
What does "chaff" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean