husk

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the dry outer covering of a seed, fruit, or vegetable

   Remove the papery husk from each ear of corn before cooking it.

2. 2
   noun

   an empty or dried-out outer form left after the important contents are gone

   Only the charred husk of the warehouse remained after the fire.

3. 3
   verb

   to remove the husk from a seed, fruit, or vegetable

   The family sat on the porch to husk the corn.

From Middle English huske, of uncertain origin. It may continue a Germanic word for a covering or sheath, or may be related to Low German and Dutch diminutive forms meaning 'little house.' The figurative sense develops naturally from the idea of an empty outer shell.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
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