hull

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

verb

hulled; hulling; hulls

transitive verb

: to remove the hulls of : shuck

huller noun

huller

3 of 3

noun (2)

hull·​er

ˈhələ(r)

plural -s

: one that hulls: such as

a

: a machine that removes the hulls from grain, nuts, or castor beans

b

: a machine that threshes clover and separates the seeds from the hulls

c

: a small hand tool for removing hulls from strawberries

Synonyms of hull

Noun (1)

• sheath
• casing
• housing
• shell
• covering
• pod

Verb

• peel
• bark

Examples of hull in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the coffin was placed in a cement hull

Verb

hull the pinto beans before adding them

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Both versions employ three hydrofoils that lift the carbon-fiber hull above the water, reducing drag while improving comfort, performance, and efficiency. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 16 June 2026

Other steps needed to restart regular shipping traffic — from resetting insurance rates to scraping barnacles off tanker hulls — will take longer. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 June 2026

Verb

Recipe information If using ¾ cup hulled barley, rinse in a mesh sieve under running water. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026

The corn is dried, hulled, and ground to create the coarse meal known as grits. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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 (1)

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hull

• hull down

Rhymes for hull

• cull
• dull
• gul
• gull
• lull
• null
• scull
• skull
• stull
• trull
• tulle
• seagull

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