Agency Dictionary
hull
nounPronunciation: /hʌl/
In Portuguese: casco
History & CivilizationsWhat does “hull” mean?
The main body of a ship, made of its bottom and sides, without the masts, engines and fittings.
Etymology
From Middle English holle or hoole, "hull or hold of a ship". The origin is uncertain. It may be the same word as hull, "husk, pod", from Old English hulu, "seed covering", the ship's body being seen as a shell; or it may be a variant of the word hole, related to Dutch hol, which is also used of a ship's hold. The references do not settle the question.
Usage note
In aviation and in armoured vehicles the word is used in the same way, for the main body. To hull a ship is to pierce its hull.
Synonyms
- body
- shell
- frame
- keel
Often confused with
- hold
- The hold is the space inside the ship where cargo is stored; the hull is the outer body that keeps the water out.
Word family
- hulled
- monohull
- multihull
Rhymes with
- dull
- skull
- gull
- cull
- lull
- null
- mull
- annul
Usage examples
The iceberg damaged the ship's hull, it will flood the watertight compartments and eventually sink.
Writing.1 - The Titanic Theory
Concept
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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