chaff
Translation
husks, rubbish, worthless things, banter
Examples
They must separate the wheat from the chaff.
They must separate the wheat from the chaff.
His speech was full of verbal chaff.
His speech was full of verbal chaff.
Grammar Patterns
((uncountable noun)) worthless things His speech was full of verbal chaff.
Similar Words
Synonyms: husks, rubbish, banter
Etymology
From Old English 'ceaf', meaning 'husk'.
Memory Tips
Think of the phrase 'separate the wheat from the chaff', meaning to separate the valuable from the worthless.