Hulls

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /hʌlz/

Definitions

1. The protective outer layer removed from seeds or grains during processing ; the primary structure of a watercraft that floats and supports its components
2. The tough exterior parts stripped from seeds before use ; the frame or shell of a vessel that rests in water
3. The enclosing shells of seeds or grains that are typically discarded ; the main framework of a boat that provides buoyancy and shape

Etymology: The plural "hulls" is simply the plural of "hull", so the story belongs to that noun. Its oldest sense was the tough outer covering of a seed or fruit, the pod of a pea or the husk of a grain. Old English "hulu" meant exactly that, and the word probably descends from a Germanic root meaning "to cover" or "to hide", which is why it sits naturally beside words for shells and coverings in several languages. The sense of a ship's body came later, in Middle English, and its origin is less certain. One possibility is that sailors borrowed the word for a seed case, since a hull is the shell that encloses everything inside, much as the French "coque" served both for a nutshell and a ship's hull. Another theory connects it to a Middle English word for a hollow or hiding place, which fits a ship's cargo hold.

Synonyms: casings, covers, shells

Antonyms: insides, contents