What does "hull" mean?
Hull: Etym: [In this sense perh. influenced by D. hol hold of a ship, E. hold.] (Naut.) The frame or body of a vessel, exclusive of her masts, yards, sails, and rigging. Deep in their hulls our deadly bullets light. Dryden. Hull down, said of a ship so distant that her hull is concealed by the convexity of the sea.
Additional senses
- 2.To strip off or separate the hull or hulls of; to free from integument; as, to hull corn.
- 3.To pierce the hull of, as a ship, with a cannon ball.
- 4.To toss or drive on the water, like the hull of a ship without sails. [Obs.] Shak. Milton.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00