Chaff (or /tʃæf/, both to rhyme with "half") is a term from agriculture used for the inedible, dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain. Chaff is a byproduct of grain production and is often used as livestock fodder, ploughed into the soil, or burnt. Etymology From Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf; related to Old High German cheva meaning husk. Cereal chaff In grasses (including cereals such as rice, barley, oats and wheat), the ripe seed is surrounded… (More on Chaff)