shuck

[ shuhk ]

/ ʃʌk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shuck ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a husk or pod, as the outer covering of corn, hickory nuts, chestnuts, etc.

Usually shucks. Informal. something useless or worthless: They don't care shucks about the project.

the shell of an oyster or clam.

verb (used with object)

to remove the shucks from: to shuck corn.

to remove or discard as or like shucks; peel off: to shuck one's clothes.

Slang. to get rid of (often followed by off): a bad habit I couldn't shuck off for years.

interjection

shucks, Informal. (used as a mild exclamation of disgust or regret.)

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?

Often it means something is impossible.

It’s another way to agree with someone.

It serves as an apology.

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Origin of shuck

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM shuck

shucker, noun

Words nearby shuck

shtup, shu, Shuar, Shubert, Shubra al Khaymah, shuck, shucking, shucking and jiving, shucks, shudder, shuddering

Definition for shuck (2 of 2)

shuck²

[ shuhk ]

/ ʃʌk /

verb (used with object) Slang.

to deceive or lie to.

Origin of shuck

1955–60; origin uncertain; perhaps from exclamation shucks! (see shuck¹) taken as a feigned sign of rural ignorance or a sham apology

Example sentences from the Web for shuck

Why is it so hard to shuck this notion that governments should cut spending and/or raise taxes in times of economic slack?
Austerity’s Scottish Ghosts Haunt the Modern Economic Mind|Mark Blyth|May 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Shuck went on to become a drill sergeant and Gabe was assigned to a new handler.
Back Home, Service Dogs Sleep in Beds—and Sniff the Sofa for Mines|Sandra McElwaine|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Ultimately, Gabe was allowed to retire and was adopted by Shuck.
Back Home, Service Dogs Sleep in Beds—and Sniff the Sofa for Mines|Sandra McElwaine|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He went out, bending his steps towards Slippery Sam's—who, by the way, had latterly tried to exact the title of 'Mr. Shuck.'
A Life's Secret|Mrs. Henry Wood

By the time the fire had consumed the shuck down to the last or inner layer, the corn was done, and it made most delicious eating.
The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, 1861-1865|Leander Stillwell
A more than respectable diamond shone on his finger as he rolled a shuck cigarette.
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume X (of X)|Various
I'd rather go on and shuck oysters like Pauline Isabel and her folks.
Across the Fruited Plain|Florence Crannell Means
Four or five of us boys slept in one bed, and it was made of hewed logs with rope laced acrost it and a shuck mattress.
Slave Narratives, Oklahoma|Various

British Dictionary definitions for shuck

shuck

/ (ʃʌk) /

noun

the outer covering of something, such as the husk of a grain of maize, a pea pod, or an oyster shell

verb (tr)

to remove the shucks from

informal, mainly US and Canadian to throw off or remove (clothes, etc)

Derived forms of shuck

shucker, noun

Word Origin for shuck

C17: American dialect, of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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