Meaning & use
shuck
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Meanings
verbtransitiveAmerican
To take off the outer husk, pod or shell of something, such as corn, peas or oysters.
Grammar: Takes an object: shuck the corn.
Patterns
- shuck something
- shuck something from something
We sat on the porch and shucked the corn.
The cook shucked a dozen oysters for the party.
He shucked the peas into a bowl.
verbtransitiveinformal
To take off clothes or get rid of something quickly and carelessly.
Grammar: Often followed by off: shuck off a coat.
Patterns
- shuck something off
- shuck something
He shucked his wet jacket and dropped it by the door.
She shucked off her shoes before going inside.
The team finally shucked its bad reputation.
nouncountableAmerican
The dry outer covering of corn, or the shell of an oyster or clam.
Grammar: Often plural in practice: a pile of corn shucks.
Patterns
- corn shuck
- a shuck of something
Corn shucks covered the kitchen floor.
The oyster shucks were piled beside the bar.
The children made dolls from dry corn shucks.
Word forms
| third person singular | shucks |
|---|---|
| past tense | shucked |
| past participle | shucked |
| -ing form | shucking |
| plural | shucks |
Common combinations
- shuck corn
- Please shuck corn for dinner.
- shuck oysters
- He learned to shuck oysters in a seafood bar.
- shuck off
- She shucked off her heavy coat.
- freshly shucked
- Freshly shucked oysters were served on ice.
- corn shucks
- The tamales were wrapped in corn shucks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- husk
- Husk is used for corn and grain coverings, while shuck can also be used for shellfish.
- shell
- Shell fits nuts, eggs and peas, and is a more general word than shuck.
- peel
- Peel is for removing a thin skin from fruit or vegetables, which shuck rarely does.
- strip
- Strip removes layers by pulling, and is more general than shuck.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: shuck or chuck? shuck or shucks?
shuck vs chuck
Chuck means to throw something away or a cut of beef, and sounds a little like shuck.
shuck vs shucks
Shucks, as an exclamation, is a mild old-fashioned expression of embarrassment or disappointment.
Practice
Before grilling, we need to ___ the corn.
Choose one answer.
Shuck means to remove the husk. Shock, shake and stick do not describe preparing corn.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shuck”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.