noun
chaff
Small metal strips released to confuse radar.
The aircraft released chaff to confuse the radar.
Etymology
Old English ceaf named grain husks. The military material borrows the image of many light fragments scattered into the air, using reflective strips to produce misleading radar returns.
More examples
- A cloud of metallic chaff spread behind the plane.
- The defense system detected the chaff among the signals.
- The crew used chaff as a countermeasure.
Forms
chaff