husk

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a usually dry or membranous outer covering (such as a pod or one composed of bracts) of various seeds and fruits (such as barley and corn) : hull
also : one of the constituent parts
b
: a carob pod
2
a
: an outer layer : shell
b
: an emptied shell : remnant
c
: a supporting framework

husk

2 of 2

verb

husked; husking; husks

transitive verb

: to strip the husk from
husker noun

Examples of husk in a Sentence

Noun a high stone wall is the husk that protects the actor from prying curiosity seekers Verb the tedious task of husking coconuts
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Seek out whole, unflavored psyllium husks (rather than psyllium powder). Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 Beyond, the smoking husk of Chile’s national botanical garden. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Staff are highly trained on material disposal and recycling, along with food composting, and the eco-friendly mind-set makes its way into the dishes too: A spring dessert transformed what would have been discarded corn husks into an ash to top a corn cream made from a stock that used the cobs. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Sometimes eggs are great for binding (like flaxseed, psyllium husk or starches), whereas other times they’re needed to leaven the dough (like aquafaba or baking soda). Charlotte Druckman, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024 These pillows, as their names suggest, are filled with husks of millet and buckwheat, which offer ergonomic support to hypoallergenic properties. Sixteen Ramos, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 Palm leaf blunts and corn husk filters are also found to frequently fail for heavy metals, pesticides and microbial contamination. Harrison Bard, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 This shakeup merges two of Disney’s film divisions: live-action (responsible for remakes and spinoffs of the studio’s classics) and 20th Century Studios (formerly known as Fox, the husk of the company that Disney bought in 2019). Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 Tamales are associated with family, unity and celebration Tamales, corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and other add-ons wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk, are very popular for special occasions in Mexico. USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024
Verb
Ingredients 4 ears fresh yellow corn, husked, silks removed 2 tsp. Julia Levy, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2023 The Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, for example, lets guests husk coconuts, take ukulele and hula lessons, and rent GoPro cameras as part of its $50 daily resort fee. Catherine Garcia, The Week, 8 Apr. 2023 For less fuss, feel free to fully husk the corn and wrap it in foil. Sunset Magazine, 1 July 2022 While the fields are no longer burned today, the taste for the dark, smoky flour remains and producers in Puglia and around Italy now make industrialized grano arso flour and dried pastas from husked, deeply toasted grains. Stacy Adimando, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2017 Some sold for several hundred dollars, husks good only for spare parts. Aaron Calvin, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2019 As Alex, Sturridge does a good job of husking himself as the story goes sour. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2019 To freeze ground cherries, simply spread the husked, washed fruits on a rimmed cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. The Editors, Good Housekeeping, 31 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'husk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of husk was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near husk

Cite this Entry

“Husk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/husk. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

husk

1 of 2 noun
1
: a usually thin dry outer covering of various seeds or fruits (as barley and corn) : hull
2
: an outer layer : shell

husk

2 of 2 verb
: to strip the husk from
husker noun

Medical Definition

husk

noun
: hoose
an outbreak of husk was observed in a flock of 200 sheepVeterinary Bulletin

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