shuck

¹ American  

[shuhk] / ʃʌk /

noun

• shucks
  plural

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

2. Informal. Usually shucks something useless or worthless.

   They don't care shucks about the project.

3. the shell of an oyster or clam.

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verb (used with object)

1. to remove the shucks from.

   to shuck corn.

2. to remove or discard as or like shucks; peel off.

   to shuck one's clothes.

3. Slang. to get rid of (often followed byoff ).

   a bad habit I couldn't shuck off for years.

interjection

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

shuck ² American  

[shuhk] / ʃʌk /

verb (used with object)

Slang.

1. to deceive or lie to.

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shuck British  

/ ʃʌk /

noun

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

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verb

1. to remove the shucks from

2. informal to throw off or remove (clothes, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shucker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shucks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of shuck¹

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Origin of shuck²

1955–60; origin uncertain; perhaps from exclamation shucks! ( see shuck ¹) taken as a feigned sign of rural ignorance or a sham apology

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shuck shucks

The actor learned to shuck oysters and clean fish to play a mentor to a teenage Anthony Bourdain in the new movie “Tony.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Considering that several former in-store shuckers were compelled to abandon their old ways thanks to Reddit, we'll say the answer is to not shuck your corn in stores.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2023

I’ll put one of my oyster plates in the freezer while I shuck the oysters from the farmers market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

To freshly shuck your own plump oysters, rinse them in their briny liquor, dredge them ever so lightly and fry to order.

From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2021

“Don’t worry about it, dude. No one liked him except for his few shuck cronies. They’re the ones accusing you of stuff.”

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner

During his $45 two-hour tours that embark from a dock at Schooner Landing, Holmes offers a steady patter of oyster-related wisecracks, as his partner, Olga Oros, shucks and hands out shellfish.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Whenever she gets asked about her historic home runs, the red-hot, red-haired hitter is like, shucks: “I mean, it’s incredible,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026

The NFL issued a $10 million fine — so, shucks, poor Dan will have to put his next super yacht on layaway — and shifted day-to-day control of the team to his wife, Tanya.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 23, 2022

He might as well have said, "Aw, shucks."

From Fox News ● Feb. 5, 2022

I covered them with shucks and kissed them good night.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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