Chaff vs Hay - What's the difference?
chaff | hay |
The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
* Dryden
By extension, any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
* Shakespeare
Loose material dropped from aircraft specifically to interfere with radar detection.
Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
* Wyatt
Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
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.
(uncountable) Grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder.
* Camden
* C. L. Flint
(countable) Any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder.
(slang) Cannabis; marijuana.
* 1947 , William Burroughs, letter, 19 Feb 1947:
A net set around the haunt of an animal, especially a rabbit.
(obsolete) A hedge.
(obsolete) A circular country dance.
To cut grasses or herb plants for use as animal fodder.
To lay snares for rabbits.
As nouns the difference between chaff and hay
is that chaff is the inedible parts of a grain-producing plant while hay is grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder.As verbs the difference between chaff and hay
is that chaff is to use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter while hay is to cut grasses or herb plants for use as animal fodder.chaff
English
Noun
(-)- 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.
- There are plenty of good books on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the chaff .
- the chaff and ruin of the times
- By adding chaff' to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way ' chaff is very useful.
Derived terms
* separate the wheat from the chaffSee also
* branVerb
(en verb)hay
English
Etymology 1
(etyl) (m), from (etyl) . More at (l).Noun
- Make hay while the sun shines.
- Hay may be dried too much as well as too little.
- I would like some of that hay . Enclose $20.
- (Rowe)
- to dance the hay
Derived terms
* hay fever * hayloft, hay loft * haystack * hayward * hit the hay * make hay while the sun shinesExternal links
* (wikipedia)Verb
(en verb)- (Huloet)
References
Webster's Online Dictionary article on hay