hull, hole, holl, hoole, hule

[A. S. hulu; cogn with Mid. Eng. hulen, hule to cover up: Dut. hullen =to put a cap on; Goth. huljan to hide, to cover; Icel. hylja; Sw. hõlja; Dan. hylle to cover; Wel.húl=a covering.] 1. The husk or integument; the outer shell or covering of anything, but especially of a nut or grain. 2. The body of a ship. "Deep in their hulls our deadly bullets light." Hull down : Dryden: Annus Mirabilis, 60. Naut.: A term applied to a ship when she is so far off that only her masts and sails are visible.