husk

noun \ ˈhəsk \

|Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of husk

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

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Examples of husk in a Sentence

a high stone wall is the husk that protects the actor from prying curiosity seekers

Recent Examples of husk from the Web

Divide the fish into 8 equal portions and place them on the husks.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Grilled Walleye Wrapped in Corn Husks from Michael Symon (recipe)," 11 Apr. 2018
Jeff, too, is dragged down that path, transforming from a sweet underachiever (who once had scurvy) to a vengeful husk — and then back again.

— jesse green, New York Times, "Review: Anna Chlumsky and Adam Pally Paint the Town Red in ‘Cardinal’," 30 Jan. 2018
Purple tomatillo varieties have small, intensely purple fruits and green husks.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "Your Guide To Growing The Biggest Tomatillos North Of Mexico," 22 Mar. 2017
Kids 5 to 11 can celebrate Cinco de Mayo by learning the age-old art of tamale-making — from mixing and kneading the masa to lining your husk with the mixture and layering your fillings on top.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Old Town prepares for Cinco de Mayo with annual Folklorico Competition," 3 May 2018
Black Panther’s sister Shuri tries to extract the stone to destroy it, but fails, and Vision ultimately has the gem ripped from his head by Thanos, leaving the robotic hero a gray husk of his former self.

— brian truitt, USA TODAY, "'Avengers: Infinity War': How 6 cosmos-shattering scenes affect Marvel future (spoilers!)," 27 Apr. 2018
Special events May 20: 1-3 p.m., Master Gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension program allow participants to make a corn husk doll for $5, which includes material and instruction.

— chuck fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Popular Civil War encampment, Underground Railroad programs among 2018 offerings at Graue Mill," 24 Apr. 2018
The cubs became sluggish, experts say, withering away into weak, depressed husks.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "Exclusive: Fatal Disease Likely Found in Lion Cubs for First Time," 11 Apr. 2018
His Joe is a quiet, withdrawn, emptied-out husk of a man, with a scraggly gray beard, scars on his upper body and a talent for hurting people.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Joaquin Phoenix descends into a hellish New York underworld in the haunting 'You Were Never Really Here'," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'husk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.