/ tʃɑːf; NAmE tʃæf/ noun , verb
■ noun [ U ]
1.
the outer covering of the seeds of grain such as wheat , which is separated from the grain before it is eaten
2.
straw (= dried stems of wheat ) and hay (= dried grass) cut up as food for cows
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IDIOMS
see wheat
■ verb
[ vn ] ( old-fashioned or formal ) to make jokes about sb in a friendly way
SYN tease
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WORD ORIGIN
noun Old English cæf , ceaf , probably from a Germanic base meaning gnaw; related to Dutch kaf .
verb early 19th cent.: perhaps from chafe .