HUSKY (huskier, huskiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: huskier    , huskiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does husky mean? 

• HUSKY (noun)
  The noun HUSKY has 1 sense:

1. breed of heavy-coated Arctic sled dog

  Familiarity information: HUSKY used as a noun is very rare.

• HUSKY (adjective)
  The adjective HUSKY has 2 senses:

1. muscular and heavily built

2. deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion

  Familiarity information: HUSKY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HUSKY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Breed of heavy-coated Arctic sled dog

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Eskimo dog; husky

Hypernyms ("husky" is a kind of...):

working dog (any of several breeds of usually large powerful dogs bred to work as draft animals and guard and guide dogs)

• HUSKY (adjective)

Comparative: huskier   
Superlative: huskiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Muscular and heavily built

Synonyms:

beefy; buirdly; burly; husky; strapping

Context example:

'buirdly' is a Scottish term

Similar:

robust (sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction)

Domain region:

Scotland (one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts)

Derivation:

huskiness (the property of being big and strong)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion

Synonyms:

gruff; hoarse; husky

Context example:

makes all the instruments sound powerful but husky

Similar:

cacophonic; cacophonous (having an unpleasant sound)

Derivation:

huskiness (a throaty harshness)

 Context examples 

And when, in addition to this, the worn-out huskies pulled weakly, Hal decided that the orthodox ration was too small.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"Good day," said the Scarecrow, in a rather husky voice.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

“Never heard his name,” said the waiter, in a rich husky voice.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“But, Humphrey—” she began to protest in a queer, husky voice.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“A most husky question, my fair bird! But how? A flask, a flask!—by all that is wonderful!”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"He's a husky young fellow, though," he admitted generously.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"Looks for all the world like a big husky sled-dog," Bill said.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Feeling without judgment is a washy draught indeed; but judgment untempered by feeling is too bitter and husky a morsel for human deglutition.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“You needn't be so husky with a man; there ain't a particle of service in that, and you may lay to it. What I mean is, we want your chart. Now, I never meant you no harm, myself.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Here! answered a husky voice from above, and, running up, Meg found her sister eating apples and crying over the Heir of Redclyffe, wrapped up in a comforter on an old three-legged sofa by the sunny window.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)