draff

D2R1A1F4F4
/dɹæf//dɹɑːf/

noun

A byproduct from a brewery, a distillery, or both, often fed to pigs or cattle as part of their ration; often synonymous with distillers' grains, brewers' spent grains, or both (when not differentiated); usually differentiated from potale, at least in technical use, although broad, nontechnical use has often lumped all such byproducts together, especially in the past.

“Near-synonyms: brewers' spent grains, BSG, distillers' grains”

Scrabble 12

Meanings

noundraff (usually uncountable, plural draffs)

plural draffs

  1. uncountableusuallyA byproduct from a brewery, a distillery, or both, often fed to pigs or cattle as part of their ration; often synonymous with distillers' grains, brewers' spent grains, or both (when not differentiated); usually differentiated from potale, at least in technical use, although broad, nontechnical use has often lumped all such byproducts together, especially in the past.

    Near-synonyms: brewers' spent grains, BSG, distillers' grains

    2 more examples

    […] and thence ſprouteth that obſcene appellation of Sarding ſandes, with the draffe of the carterly Hoblobs thereabouts, concoct or diſgeaſt for a ſcripture, verity, when the right chriſtendome of it, is Cerdicke ſands, or Cerdick ſhore, […]

    1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC, pages 8–9

    A crowd immersed in ordure, that appear'd draff of the human body.

    c. 1805-1814, Dante Alighieri, Henry Francis Cary (translator), The Divine Comedy Canto 18

    Synonyms: dregs, hogwash, brewers' spent grains, BSG, distillers' grains

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA byproduct from a brewery, a distillery, or both, often fed to pigs or cattle as part of their ration; often synonymous with distillers' grains, brewers' spent grains, or both (when not differentiated); usually differentiated from potale, at least in technical use, although broad, nontechnical use has often lumped all such byproducts together, especially in the past.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe residue of malt and grain which remains in the mash-kettle after the mashing and lautering process.

Similar
brewer's grainspent grain
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*drabaz
  2. Old English*dræf
  3. Middle Englishdraf
  4. Englishdraff

From Middle English draf, likely from an unrecorded Old English *dræf, from Proto-Germanic *drabaz.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian помия
  • помия (pomija)dregs; the wash given to swine or cows
French drêche
  • drêchedregs; the wash given to swine or cows
Swedish drank
  • drankdregs; the wash given to swine or cows

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with draff

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

draff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draff

MLA

“draff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draff. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “draff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draff.

Source: draff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.