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Chaff vs Winnowing - What's the difference?

chaff | winnowing |

As nouns the difference between chaff and winnowing

is that chaff is the inedible parts of a grain-producing plant while winnowing is the act of separating chaff from grain.

As verbs the difference between chaff and winnowing

is that chaff is to use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter while winnowing is present participle of lang=en.

chaff

English

Noun

(-)
  • The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
    • To separate out the chaff , early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.
  • * Dryden
    • So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.
  • By extension, any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
    • There are plenty of good books on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the chaff .
  • * Shakespeare
    • the chaff and ruin of the times
  • Loose material dropped from aircraft specifically to interfere with radar detection.
  • Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
  • * Wyatt
    • By adding chaff' to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way ' chaff is very useful.
  • Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.

    • Derived terms

    * separate the wheat from the chaff

    See also

    * bran

    Verb

    (en 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.

    • winnowing

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of separating chaff from grain.
  • * (William Bridge)
    • If God doth suffer his own people and dearest children to be exposed to Satan's temptings and winnowings ; Why should any man then doubt of his childship, doubt of his own everlasting condition, and say, that he is none of the child of God because he is tempted?
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=October 20, author=Thomas C. Cooper, title=How Green Is My Garden?, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=At first I tried to handle the seasonal winnowings with a large three-bin compost device. }}