noun / verb
chaff
Good-natured teasing or joking.
Their friendly chaff made the long shift easier.
Etymology
The agricultural word names light husks separated from grain. Its figurative association with light or worthless material helps explain its use for playful, insubstantial talk, although the exact development of the teasing sense is uncertain.
More examples
- He chaffed her about arriving early for once.
- She accepted the playful chaff with a smile.
- The teammates spent lunch chaffing one another.
Forms
chaff · chaffs · chaffed · chaffing