English Dictionary

Definition of “husk

1husk1 (hʌskPronunciation for husk1

Definitions

noun

  1. the external green or membranous covering of certain fruits and seeds
  2. any worthless outer covering

verb

  1. (tr) to remove the husk from

Alternative Forms

ˈhusker noun ˈhuskˌlike adjective

Word Origin

C14: probably based on Middle Dutch huusken  little house, from hūs  house; related to Old English hosu  husk, hūshouse

2husk2

Definitions

noun

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

Usage examples

  • Austria is little more than a husk - look at the way she folded up in the Seven Weeks War with her German cousin!
    Baxter, Stephen, Anti-Ice (1993)
  • Since the plant is located in the Saurashtra area which is an agricultural belt, husk was available in abundance.
    Business Today (1999)
  • For shelter, she lives under an abandoned, decaying, creaking husk of a building in the inner city.
    Courier, Sunday Mail (2004)
  • And then, with a knowing look, asked: `What sort of burned-out emotional husk would have to pretend to be someone else to get their kicks?
    Sun, News of the World (2005)
  • The body after death was a husk , and to eat it was a matter of free choice.
    Timothy Taylor, THE BURIED SOUL: How Humans Invented Death (2002)

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