Husk
WordNet
noun
(1) Outer membranous covering of some fruits or seeds
(2) Material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
verb
(3) Remove the husks from
"Husk corn"
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
Probably from Low German hūske ‘little house, sheath’ (cognate with Middle Dutch huskjin > Dutch huisken), diminutive of hūs ‘house’.
Noun
- The dry, leafy or stringy exterior of certain vegetables or fruits, which must be removed before eating the meat inside
- A coconut has a very thick husk.
- Any form of useless, dried-up, and subsequently worthless exterior of something
- His attorney was a dried up husk of a man, ready for the grave, with one foot already inside and another on a banana peel.
Verb
- To say huskily, to utter in a husky voice.
- The French captain did not immediately respond; he looked at his men with a miserable expression [...]; still he hesitated, drooped, and finally husked, "Je me rends," with a look still more wretched. — Naomi Novik, "His Majesty's Dragon"