hull
huhl
Hull (noun) means the main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft. Example: “Workers painted the hull of the old fishing boat bright blue.”
noun
1
The main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft.
"Workers painted the hull of the old fishing boat bright blue."
"Water was leaking into the ship through a crack in the hull."
"The submarine's hull is built to withstand extreme pressure."
2
The outer covering of a seed, fruit, or nut.
"The green hull of the walnut splits open in autumn and stains your fingers."
"She removed the hulls from the strawberries before slicing them."
"Rice hulls are often used as animal bedding."
verb
1
To remove the outer covering from a seed or fruit.
"He used a small knife to hull the walnuts before dinner."
"Hull the strawberries before adding them to the salad."
"It took her ten minutes to hull a whole basket of berries."
How to use hull
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe body of a boat, or the outer skin of a seed or fruit; as a verb, to strip that skin off.
Common pairings
hull a strawberry
the ship's hull
a cracked hull
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like hull.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- hulls
- Third person singular
- hulls
- Past tense
- hulled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Workers painted the _____ of the old fishing boat bright blue.
Etymology
From Old English hulu, meaning the covering of a seed — related to words in other Germanic languages meaning "cover" or "wrap."
Related words
Rhymes for hull
See all rhymes for hull →Frequently asked questions
What does “hull” mean?
The word “hull” means the main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft. In plain terms, the body of a boat, or the outer skin of a seed or fruit; as a verb, to strip that skin off.
How do you pronounce “hull”?
“Hull” is pronounced huhl (/hʌl/ in IPA).
How do you use “hull” in a sentence?
Here is “hull” used in a sentence: “Water was leaking into the ship through a crack in the hull.”
What part of speech is “hull”?
Depending on how it is used, “hull” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “hull” come from?
The word “hull” comes from Old English. From Old English hulu, meaning the covering of a seed — related to words in other Germanic languages meaning "cover" or "wrap.".
Is “hull” a common word?
“Hull” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.
How many meanings does “hull” have?
“Hull” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft.
What is the difference between the hull and the deck of a ship?
The hull is the main body or outer shell of the ship — the watertight structure that sits in the water. The deck is the horizontal surface built on or within the hull that people stand and work on. In short, the hull is the container and the decks are its floors.
What is the difference between a hull and a husk?
Both are outer coverings of seeds or fruits. Husk usually refers to a dry or leafy covering, like the layers around an ear of corn, while hull is the general word for the outer shell of a seed, nut, or grain. For grains such as rice, the two words are often used interchangeably.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include hull:
