hull

1 of 2

noun

ˈhəl 

1

a

: the outer covering of a fruit or seed

b

: the persistent calyx or involucre that subtends some fruits (such as a strawberry)

2

a

: the frame or body of a ship or boat exclusive of masts, yards, sails, and rigging

b

: the main body of a usually large or heavy craft or vehicle (such as an airship or tank)

3

: covering, casing

hull-less

ˈhəl-ləs 

adjective

hull

2 of 2

verb

hulled; hulling; hulls

transitive verb

: to remove the hulls of : shuck

huller noun

Synonyms

Noun

• armor
• capsule
• case
• casing
• cocoon
• cover
• covering
• encasement
• housing
• husk
• jacket
• pod
• sheath
• shell

Verb

• bark
• flay
• husk
• peel
• shell
• shuck
• skin

Examples of hull in a Sentence

Noun

the coffin was placed in a cement hull

Verb

hull the pinto beans before adding them

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Fang heard of how on October 1, 1942 a Japanese military cargo ship laden with 1,816 British prisoners of war hidden in its hull was on its way from Hong Kong to Japan when it was torpedoed by the USS Grouper. —Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024

Harsh winter What does the thickness of a walnut hull say about winter weather? —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Strawberry Cardamom Frozen Yogurt with Balsamic Swirl Makes 1 quart INGREDIENTS 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled 1¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 1/3 cup honey ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom 2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze DIRECTIONS Place the strawberries, yogurt, honey and cardamom in a blender. —Laura McLively, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024

Rice kernels are then dried and hulled by machines before they’re packed for sale in factories, lined from floor to ceiling with sacks of rice. —Aniruddha Ghosal, Fortune Asia, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English holle, hulle, going back to Old English hulu, apparently going back to a by-form (without umlaut) of Germanic *huljō (whence Old High German hulla "outer garment," Middle High German hülle), nominal derivative from *hulj-a- "to cover" (whence Old Saxon bihullean "to veil, conceal," Old High German hullan "to cover," Old Norse hylja "to hide, cover," Gothic huljan "to cover, veil"), going back to Indo-European *ḱl̥-i̯e-, present stem formed from the verbal base *ḱel- "cover, conceal" — more at conceal

Note: The sense "frame or body of a ship," first attested with certainty ca. 1424-25 in a Latin document, is apparently a figurative use of the sense "husk, pod"; cf. Bertil Sandahl, Middle English Sea Terms I. The Ship's Hull (Uppsala, 1951), pp. 194-95.

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hull

• hull down

Kids Definition

hull

1 of 2 noun

ˈhəl 

1

a

: the outer covering of a fruit or seed

b

: the remains of the flower that cling to the base of some fruits (as a strawberry)

2

: the frame or body of a ship, flying boat, or airship

hull

2 of 2 verb

: to remove the hulls of

hulling strawberries

hulled the corn kernels

huller noun

Geographical Definition

Hull

geographical name

ˈhəl 

1

or in full Kingston upon Hull

ˈkiŋ-stən 

city and port on the Humber River in eastern England population 242,200

2

former town in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the Ottawa River

Note: Hull is now part of the town of Gatineau.

Biographical Definition

Hull 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

ˈhəl 

Cordell 1871–1955 American statesman; U.S. Secretary of State (1933–44)

Hull

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Isaac 1773–1843 American naval officer

Hull

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

Bobby 1939–2023 Robert Marvin Hull Canadian ice hockey player

Hull

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

William 1753–1825 American general