What does husk mean?
Word: Husk
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Husk means the outer covering of some seeds and fruits, which is taken off before the inside is eaten or used.
Synonyms: shell, hull
How do you spell husk?
Syllables: husk
Tricky part: The vowel is a short u, as in cup and cut, so it is not hask.
Watch out for: hask, hosk
Memory tip: You have to cut through the husk to get to the food inside: husk has the same u as cut.
Husk in a sentence
Example 1: Grandma scrubs the iron pan with a lump of husk.
Example 2: The machine at the mill took the husk off the rice.
Example 3: The parrot cracked the seeds and dropped the husks on the floor of its cage.
Fun Fact
Rice husk is left over in huge amounts after milling, and some power plants in rice-growing countries burn it as fuel to make electricity.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which of the following words does not rhyme with 'husk'?
a) desk
b) musk
c) dusk
d) tusk
Show answer
a) desk. Desk has an e sound, while dusk, tusk and musk end with the same usk sound as husk.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) huske
b) brisk
c) whisk
d) flask
Show answer
a) huske. Husk ends in sk with nothing after it, like brisk, flask and whisk.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
kuhs
a) a long pointed tooth of an elephant
b) the time just before it gets dark
c) a strong smell used in some perfumes
d) the hard outer coat of a grain or seed
Show answer
d) the hard outer coat of a grain or seed. Kuhs holds the letters of husk, the coat that covers a seed.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
The hen pecked at the grain and left the ______ on the ground.
a) hulk
b) husk
c) hush
d) husky
Show answer
b) husk. Only husk names the coat left behind; hush, hulk and husky do not fit.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A husk usually feels ___.
a) soft and juicy
b) dry and rough
c) smooth and shiny
d) wet and sticky
Show answer
b) dry and rough
2. Coir, used for doormats and ropes, is made from the husk of a ___.
a) pineapple
b) coconut
c) mango
d) banana
Show answer
b) coconut
