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Chaff vs Scuff - What's the difference?

chaff | scuff |

As nouns the difference between chaff and scuff

is that chaff is the inedible parts of a grain-producing plant while scuff is the back part of the neck; the scruff.

As verbs the difference between chaff and scuff

is that chaff is to use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter while scuff is to mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball.

As an adjective scuff is

caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.

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.

    • scuff

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.
    • Someone left scuff marks in the sand.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=September 2 , author= , title=Wales 2-1 Montenegro , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The Montenegro captain was finding space at will and followed up with a speculative shot that he scuffed wide, after Wales were slow in closing down the Juventus striker.}}
  • To scrape the feet while walking.
  • To hit lightly, to brush against.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 29 , author=Keith Jackson , title=SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0 , work=Daily Record citation , page= , passage=Wallace threw himself at it to connect with a flying header. He looked a certain scorer but his effort scuffed the inside of Fraser Forster’s post.}}

    Derived terms

    * scuff mark

    Related terms

    * scuffle

    See also

    * scoff * scruff

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The back part of the neck; the scruff.

    • Anagrams

    *