Hulling

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhʌlɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The process of taking away the outer protective layer or hull from seeds or grains
2. Removing the tough outer shell that surrounds certain agricultural products to prepare them for use
3. Stripping off the covering of grains or seeds to separate the edible part from the inedible husk

Etymology: The verb "hull" for removing the outer covering of seeds or grain comes from the same root as the word for a ship's body, and the connection is older than the ship. Old English "hulu" meant a seed covering, and it grew out of a Proto-Germanic form whose ancestry may reach back to a root meaning "to cover, hide," which also gave German "Hülle" (cover, wrapper) and Dutch "hul" (hood). The sense of a pod or shell that encloses something is what links the grain husk to the hard frame of a vessel. Ships picked up the word separately. Middle English "holle" and "hoole" meant a ship's hull, and its origin is uncertain: it may be a special use of the seed-covering word, shaped by association with "hull," or it may be a variant of the Middle English word for a hollow or hiding place, related to Dutch "hol" (hole, ship's cargo hold). Either way, the naval and agricultural senses share a picture of something that encloses and protects its contents.

Synonyms: shelling, dehusking