What does hulled mean?
Hulled means that the outer covering of something has been removed, most often the husk surrounding a grain such as rice, barley, or wheat. The term is especially common in descriptions of food and agricultural products, where it distinguishes the cleaned, edible grain from grain that remains in its husk. It can also describe a vessel that has been struck or damaged by another ship's hull, though this nautical sense is much less frequent in everyday use. As an adjective, 'hulled' conveys both the physical result of removing an outer layer and the idea that the underlying material is ready for further preparation. The related verb 'hull' means to remove the hull from something, and the '-ed' form can function as either a participle or a past-tense verb form.
Having the outer covering or husk removed.
"She rinsed the hulled lentils before adding them to the soup."
Most often used of grain, seeds, or legumes.
Past-tense and past participle of 'hull,' meaning to remove the outer covering from something, especially grain.
"The farmer hulled the wheat before storing it."
Also used in the past tense for a vessel that was struck or damaged by a ship's hull.
Hulled rice is not merely cleaned rice: its protective outer husk has been removed, revealing the edible grain underneath.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hulled come from?
The word 'hulled' comes from the English noun 'hull,' meaning the outer shell, husk, or protective covering of a seed or grain, and also the body of a ship. The verb 'hull' developed partly from this noun, with the sense of removing a hull or husk; it also acquired nautical meanings associated with striking or damaging a ship. The '-ed' form follows standard English adjective and verb inflection.
Related word forms
How hulled is actually used
The adjective is especially common in food and agricultural contexts, as in 'hulled rice' and 'hulled grain.' In nautical usage, it describes a vessel that has been struck or damaged by a hull.