husk

American  

[huhsk] / hʌsk /

noun

1. the dry external covering of certain fruits or seeds, especially of an ear of corn.

2. the enveloping or outer part of anything, especially when dry or worthless.

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verb (used with object)

1. to remove the husk from.

husk ¹ British  

/ hʌsk /

noun

1. the external green or membranous covering of certain fruits and seeds

2. any worthless outer covering

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verb

1. (tr) to remove the husk from

husk ² British  

noun

1. bronchitis in cattle, sheep, and goats, usually caused by lungworm infestation

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Other Word Forms

• husker noun
• husklike adjective
• unhusked adjective

Etymology

Origin of husk

1350–1400; Middle English huske, equivalent to hus- (akin to Old English hosu pod, husk) + -ke, weak variant of -ock

Example Sentences

Multiple vehicles were "engulfed in flames and reduced to charred husks, with debris scattered across the site", according to a police statement.

From BBC

"A white dwarf is the leftover husk of a star that has finished fusing its hydrogen," said Burgasser.

From Science Daily

To make the resulting flour safe and digestible for humans, the outer husks and certain phenolic compounds must first be removed.

From Science Daily

Other forms of Metarhizium are already commonly cultivated around the world on cheap materials like chicken droppings, rice husks and wheat scraps that are readily available after harvest.

From Science Daily

It hints at the trend of hedge fund managers buying local publications to drain them until they’re husks of their former selves.

From Salon

Related Words

• chaff
• pod
• rind