chaf

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Chafed p pr. & vb. n. Chafing. ] [ OE. chaufen to warm, OF. chaufer, F. chauffer, fr. L. calefacere, calfacere, to make warm; calere to be warm + facere to make. See Caldron. ] 1. To excite heat in by friction; to rub in order to stimulate and make warm. [ 1913 Webster ]

To rub her temples, and to chafe her skin. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To excite passion or anger in; to fret; to irritate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her intercession chafed him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fret and wear by rubbing; as, to chafe a cable. [ 1913 Webster ]

Two slips of parchment which she sewed round it to prevent its being chafed. Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- To rub; fret; gall; vex; excite; inflame. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Heat excited by friction. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Injury or wear caused by friction. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Vexation; irritation of mind; rage. [ 1913 Webster ]

The cardinal in a chafe sent for him to Whitehall. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. ceafor; akin to D. kever, G këfer. ] (Zool.) A kind of beetle; the cockchafer. The name is also applied to other species; as, the rose chafer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who chafes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A vessel for heating water; -- hence, a dish or pan. [ 1913 Webster ]

A chafer of water to cool the ends of the irons. Baker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Chafe, v. t. ] (Iron Works) An open furnace or forge, in which blooms are heated before being wrought into bars. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The cudweed (Gnaphalium), used to prevent or cure chafing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AC. ceaf; akin to D. kaf, G. kaff. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The glumes or husks of grains and grasses separated from the seed by threshing and winnowing, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

So take the corn and leave the chaff behind. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Old birds are not caught with caff. Old Proverb. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything of a comparatively light and worthless character; the refuse part of anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

The chaff and ruin of the times. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

By adding chaff to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way chaff is very useful. Ywatt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Light jesting talk; banter; raillery. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Compositæ, as the sunflower. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Chaff cutter, a machine for cutting, up straw, etc., into “chaff” for the use of cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Chaffed p. pr. & vb. n. Chaffing. ] To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter. [ 1913 Webster ]