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• hull
  hull

  noun

  the husk, shell, or outer covering of a seed or fruit.
• Hull
  Hull

  noun

  Bobby Robert Marvin Hull, 1939–2023, Canadian ice-hockey player, known as “the Golden Jet”: Hockey Hall of Fame 1983.

hull

¹ American  

[huhl] / hʌl /

noun

1. the husk, shell, or outer covering of a seed or fruit.

   Synonyms:

   shuck, rind, peel, pod, skin

2. the calyx of certain fruits, as the strawberry.

3. any covering or envelope.

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verb (used with object)

1. to remove the hull of.

2. Midland U.S. to shell (peas or beans).

hull ² American  

[huhl] / hʌl /

noun

1. the hollow, lowermost portion of a ship, floating partially submerged and supporting the remainder of the ship.

2. Aeronautics.

   1. the boatlike fuselage of a flying boat on which the plane lands or takes off.

   2. the cigar-shaped arrangement of girders enclosing the gasbag of a rigid dirigible.

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verb (used with object)

1. to pierce (the hull of a ship), especially below the water line.

verb (used without object)

1. to drift without power or sails.

idioms

1. hull down, (of a ship) sufficiently far away, or below the horizon, that the hull is invisible.

2. hull up, (of a ship) sufficiently near, or above the horizon, that the hull is visible.

Hull ³ American  

[huhl] / hʌl /

noun

1. Bobby Robert Marvin Hull, 1939–2023, Canadian ice-hockey player, known as “the Golden Jet”: Hockey Hall of Fame 1983.

2. Cordell 1871–1955, U.S. secretary of state 1933–44, known as “the Father of the United Nations”: Nobel Peace Prize 1945.

3. William, 1753–1825, U.S. general, court-martialed and sentenced to death after surrendering a U.S. fort to the British during the War of 1812: pardoned by President Madison.

4. Official Name Kingston-upon-Hull. a seaport in Humberside, in eastern England, on the Humber River.

5. a city in southeastern Canada, on the Ottawa River opposite Ottawa.

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hull ¹ British  

/ hʌl /

noun

1. the main body of a vessel, tank, flying boat, etc

2. the shell or pod of peas or beans; the outer covering of any fruit or seed; husk

3. the persistent calyx at the base of a strawberry, raspberry, or similar fruit

4. the outer casing of a missile, rocket, etc

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verb

1. to remove the hulls from (fruit or seeds)

2. (tr) to pierce the hull of (a vessel, tank, etc)

Hull ² British  

/ hʌl /

noun

1. a city and port in NE England, in Kingston upon Hull unitary authority, East Riding of Yorkshire: fishing, food processing; two universities. Pop: 301 416 (2001). Official name: Kingston upon Hull

2. a city in SE Canada, in SW Quebec on the River Ottawa: a centre of the timber trade and associated industries. Pop: 66 246 (2001)

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Hull ³ British  

/ hʌl /

noun

1. Cordell. 1871–1955, US statesman; secretary of state (1933–44). He helped to found the U.N.: Nobel peace prize 1945

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hull Scientific  

/ hŭl /

1. The dry outer covering of a fruit, seed, or nut; a husk.

2. The enlarged calyx of a fruit, such as a strawberry, that is usually green and easily detached.

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Other Word Forms

• huller
  noun
• hull-less
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hull¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English hulu “husk, pod”; akin to Old English helan “to cover, hide,” Latin cēlāre “to hide, conceal,” Greek kalýptein “to cover up” ( see apocalypse); see conceal, hell

Origin of hull²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; special use of hull ¹

Explanation

A sailor who is far out at sea has to hope that the hull of her boat is watertight. The hull of a boat or a ship is its outer body. A boat's hull can be made of wood, metal, or fiberglass — it gives a boat or ship its shape and keeps water out. Another kind of hull is the outer covering of a seed. Corn, for example, has a hull that is removed when you husk it and reveal the kernels. This kind of hull is thought to be the root of the nautical hull, probably based on the similarity between a ship's hull and an open pea pod.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hull Hull

In that first meeting with Collins and her staff, Kao pitched an $8 million boat hull research project for Navatek and the university.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Both Sidi Kerir loadings and ship-to-ship transfers likely will increase under the new Red Sea threat, particularly for Asian customers, said Dylan Mortimer, marine hull U.K. war leader at insurance broker Marsh.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Pictures last week of the USS Abraham Lincoln docking in Thailand with a rusting hull after a gruelling nine months at sea in the Gulf were pounced on by Iran.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Images broadcast by Turkish television showed the upside-down ferry in the water, with people wearing life vests atop its orange hull.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

Forty-foot hull with a high tower on top for spotting fish, and a bow pulpit near as long as the boat.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

With their teams currently sat in 8th and 11th place, Hull and Ipswich fans will hope that's still the case at the end of this campaign.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Sinfield began his final ultramarathon challenge in Hull on September 27 and visited all 12 Super League clubs along the way.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

What followed was a trailblazing career spanning more than two decades, which has seen her play for the elite Kingston Diamonds based in Hull, and the Great Britain women's national team.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Hull City said the club was "aware of images circulating on social media following a road traffic accident near the training ground and can confirm that no one was harmed in the incident".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Ignoring Officer Hull, Moss moved inside, where the view was no better.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Related Words

• frame
• skin