Husk Meaning
/hʌsk/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Definition
nounThe dry, leafy or stringy exterior of certain vegetables or fruits, which must be removed before eating the meat inside.
nounAny form of useless, dried up, and subsequently worthless exterior of something.
Sentence Examples
Word Origin & History
From Middle English huske, husk (“husk”). Perhaps from Old English *husuc, *hosuc (“little covering, sheath”), diminutive of hosu (“pod, shell, husk”), from Proto-West Germanic *hosā, from Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“covering, shell, leggings”), from Proto-Indo-European *kawəs- / kawes- (“cover”). If so, equivalent to hose + -ock. Alternatively from Middle Low German hûs(e)ken, hü̂seken (“little house, sheath”), Middle Dutch husekijn (“little house, core of fruit, case”), diminutive of hûs (“house”). Compare Dutch huisje, German Häuschen, both also used for “snailshell”.