noun
hull
huhl
noun
1
The main body of a ship, boat, or aircraft.
"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.
"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.
"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
Word Forms
hulled past tense, hulled past tense, hulls plural, hulls plural, Hulls plural, hulls singular, hulls singular
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Water was leaking into the ship through a crack in the _____.
Etymology
From Old English hulu, meaning the covering of a seed — related to words in other Germanic languages meaning "cover" or "wrap."