hull

1
[ huhl ]
See synonyms for hull on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the husk, shell, or outer covering of a seed or fruit.

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

  1. any covering or envelope.

verb (used with object)
  1. to remove the hull of.

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

Origin of hull

1
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

Other words for hull

Other words from hull

  • huller, noun

Words Nearby hull

Other definitions for hull (2 of 3)

hull2
[ huhl ]

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

  2. Aeronautics.

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

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

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.

Origin of hull

2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; special use of hull1

Other words from hull

  • hull-less, adjective

Other definitions for Hull (3 of 3)

Hull
[ huhl ]

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

  2. Cor·dell [kawr-del, kawr-del], /ˈkɔr dɛl, kɔrˈdɛl/, 1871–1955, U.S. secretary of state 1933–44, known as “the Father of the United Nations”: Nobel Peace Prize 1945.

  1. 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.

  2. a seaport in Humberside, in eastern England, on the Humber River.: Official name Kings·ton-up·on-Hull [kingz-tuhn-uh-pon-huhl, -uh-pawn-, king-stuhn-] /ˈkɪŋz tən əˌpɒnˈhʌl, -əˌpɔn-, ˈkɪŋ stən-/ .

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hull in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hull (1 of 3)

hull

/ (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

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

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

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

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

Origin of hull

1
Old English hulu; related to Old High German helawa, Old English helan to hide

Derived forms of hull

  • huller, noun
  • hull-less, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Hull (2 of 3)

Hull1

/ (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)

British Dictionary definitions for Hull (3 of 3)

Hull2

/ (hʌl) /


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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for hull

hull

[ 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.