Hall vs. Haul: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Harlon Moss || Updated on November 9, 2023
A "hall" is a large room or corridor, while "haul" refers to pulling something with effort.
Key Differences
The word "hall" originates from Old English, denoting a spacious public room or area within a building, often used for events or gatherings. On the other hand, "haul," with a nautical lineage, refers to the action of pulling or dragging something, typically requiring considerable effort or force.
Architecturally, a hall is a passageway or a large entrance room, sometimes leading to other rooms within a structure. In contrast, "haul" as a verb implies the transportation of goods or cargo, often over long distances.
In academia, a hall can be part of an institution's name, signifying a place of residence or study, such as a dormitory or college building. "Haul," however, can also mean the distance something is transported or the quantity of fish caught, which is brought in by a fishing vessel.
Socially, a hall may serve as a venue for celebrations or public meetings, reflecting its role as a communal space. "Haul" in the context of work, implies a job or task involving carrying or moving loads, often used in the transportation industry.
In modern usage, a hall can also refer to a narrow passageway in a home, while the term "haul" has been adopted in retail and fashion to describe a large quantity of purchases, as seen in the term "shopping haul."
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A large room or passage
To drag or carry with effort
Usage
Architectural space
Transportation action
Context
Buildings, events
Cargo, fishing
Synonym
Corridor, foyer
Drag, pull
Associated Phrases
Concert hall, dining hall
Long haul, haul away
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Hall and Haul Definitions
Hall
A large room for public gatherings or events.
They rented a hall for the wedding reception.
Haul
A sustained pull applied mechanically.
The haul of the cable must be steady to avoid snapping.
Hall
A passage in a building leading to various rooms.
The paintings in the main hall were from the 18th century.
Haul
To pull or drag with effort or force.
They had to haul the sofa up three flights of stairs.
Hall
The main room of a mansion or estate.
The grand hall boasted a magnificent marble staircase.
Haul
A quantity of something that has been caught or gathered.
The fishing boat returned with a huge haul of mackerel.
Hall
A building or large room used for university or college activities.
The freshman orientation took place in the student hall.
Haul
The act of transporting goods in a vehicle.
The trucker completed the cross-country haul in two days.
Hall
A residence hall in a university where students live.
She stayed in the north hall during her first year at college.
Haul
To attract or come to a place in significant numbers.
The event managed to haul in a large crowd.
Hall
A corridor or passageway in a building.
Haul
To pull or drag forcibly
They hauled the boat onto the beach. We hauled the wood into the shed.
Hall
A large entrance room or vestibule in a building; a lobby.
Haul
To transport, as with a truck or cart
The contractor used a truck to haul away the dirt and debris.
Hall
A building for public gatherings or entertainments.
Haul
To cause (oneself) to move, especially slowly or laboriously
I hauled myself down to the lobby.
Hall
The large room in which such events are held.
Haul
To compel to go, especially for trial
Hauled their competitor into court.
Hall
A building used for the gatherings and social activities of a church, fraternal order, or other organization.
Haul
(Nautical) To change the course of (a ship), especially in order to sail closer into the wind.
Hall
A building belonging to a school, college, or university that provides classroom, dormitory, or dining facilities.
Haul
To pull or drag something forcibly.
Hall
A large room in such a building.
Haul
To provide transportation; cart.
Hall
The group of students using such a building
The entire hall stayed up late studying.
Haul
To shift direction
The wind hauled to the east.
Hall
Chiefly British A meal served in such a building.
Haul
(Nautical) To change the course of a ship.
Hall
The main house on a landed estate.
Haul
The act of pulling or dragging.
Hall
The castle or house of a medieval monarch or noble.
Haul
The act of transporting or carting.
Hall
The principal room in such a castle or house, used for dining, entertaining, and sleeping.
Haul
A distance, especially the distance over which something is pulled or transported
A long haul across the country.
Hall
A corridor; a hallway.
The drinking fountain was out in the hall.
Haul
Something that is pulled or transported; a load.
Hall
A meeting room.
The hotel had three halls for conferences, and two were in use by the convention.
Haul
Everything collected or acquired at a single time; the take
A big haul of fish.
Hall
A manor house (originally because a magistrate's court was held in the hall of his mansion).
The duke lived in a great hall overlooking the sea.
Haul
(transitive) To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle.
To haul logs to a sawmill
Hall
A building providing student accommodation at a university.
The student government hosted several social events so that students from different halls would intermingle.
Haul
(transitive) To draw or pull something heavy.
Hall
The principal room of a secular medieval building.
Haul
(transitive) To carry or transport something, with a connotation that the item is heavy or otherwise difficult to move.
Hall
(obsolete) Cleared passageway through a crowd, as for dancing.
Haul
To drag, to pull, to tug.
Hall
A place for special professional education, or for conferring professional degrees or licences.
A Divinity Hall; Apothecaries' Hall
Haul
Followed by up: to summon to be disciplined or held answerable for something.
Hall
(India) A living room.
Haul
(intransitive) To pull apart, as oxen sometimes do when yoked.
Hall
(Oxbridge) A college's canteen, which is often but not always coterminous with a traditional hall.
Haul
To steer (a vessel) closer to the wind.
Hall
(Oxbridge slang) A meal served and eaten at a college's hall.
Haul
Of the wind: to shift fore (more towards the bow).
Hall
A building or room of considerable size and stateliness, used for public purposes; as, Westminster Hall, in London.
Haul
To fast]].
“How fast was he goin’?” / “I don’t know exactly, but he must’ve been haulin’, given where he landed.”
Hall
The chief room in a castle or manor house, and in early times the only public room, serving as the place of gathering for the lord's family with the retainers and servants, also for cooking and eating. It was often contrasted with the bower, which was the private or sleeping apartment.
Full sooty was her bower and eke her hall.
Haul
An act of hauling or pulling, particularly with force; a (violent) pull or tug.
Hall
A vestibule, entrance room, etc., in the more elaborated buildings of later times.
Haul
The distance over which something is hauled or transported, especially if long.
Getting to his place was a real haul.
I find long-haul travel by airplane tiring.
Hall
A name given to many manor houses because the magistrate's court was held in the hall of his mansion; a chief mansion house.
Haul
An amount of something that has been taken, especially of fish, illegal loot, or items purchased on a shopping trip.
The robber’s haul was over thirty items.
The trawler landed a ten-ton haul.
Hall
A college in an English university (at Oxford, an unendowed college).
Haul
(Internet) purchased]] items
Hall
The apartment in which English university students dine in common; hence, the dinner itself; as, hall is at six o'clock.
Haul
(ropemaking) A bundle of many threads to be tarred.
Hall
Cleared passageway in a crowd; - formerly an exclamation.
Haul
Four goals scored by one player in a game.
Hall
An interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open;
The elevators were at the end of the hall
Haul
To pull or draw with force; to drag.
Some dance, some haul the rope.
Thither they bent, and hauled their ships to land.
Romp-loving missIs hauled about in gallantry robust.
Hall
A large entrance or reception room or area
Haul
To transport by drawing, as with horses or oxen; as, to haul logs to a sawmill.
When I was seven or eight years of age, I began hauling all the wood used in the house and shops.
Hall
A large room for gatherings or entertainment;
Lecture hall
Pool hall
Haul
To pull apart, as oxen sometimes do when yoked.
Hall
A college or university building containing living quarters for students
Haul
A pulling with force; a violent pull.
Hall
The large room of a manor or castle
Haul
A single draught of a net; as, to catch a hundred fish at a haul.
Hall
English writer whose novel about a lesbian relationship was banned in Britain for many years (1883-1943)
Haul
That which is caught, taken, or gained at once, as by hauling a net.
Hall
United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)
Haul
Transportation by hauling; the distance through which anything is hauled, as freight in a railroad car; as, a long haul or short haul.
Hall
United States chemist who developed an economical method of producing aluminum from bauxite (1863-1914)
Haul
A bundle of about four hundred threads, to be tarred.
Hall
United States explorer who led three expeditions to the Arctic (1821-1871)
Haul
The act of drawing or hauling something;
The haul up the hill went very slowly
Hall
United States astronomer who discovered Phobos and Deimos (the two satellites of Mars) (1829-1907)
Haul
The quantity that was caught;
The catch was only 10 fish
Hall
A large and imposing house
Haul
Draw slowly or heavily;
Haul stones
Haul nets
Hall
A large building used by a college or university for teaching or research;
Halls of learning
Haul
Transport in a vehicle;
Haul stones from the quarry in a truck
Haul vegetables to the market
Hall
A large building for meetings or entertainment
FAQs
Does "haul" always imply a large quantity?
Often, but not always; it also refers to the act of pulling regardless of quantity.
Is "hall" used in residential architecture?
Yes, "hall" can refer to a corridor or entrance room in a house.
What does "long haul" mean?
It refers to a long distance or period of time, often in transportation.
What does "dining hall" refer to?
A large room where meals are served, often in institutions.
Can "haul" be associated with shopping?
Yes, in modern slang, a "shopping haul" is a lot of purchased items.
Are halls typically public spaces?
Halls are often public, but they can also be private, as in a residence hall.
Does "haul" have different meanings in different industries?
Yes, its meaning can vary slightly, e.g., in fishing vs. transport.
What does it mean to "haul in" something?
To bring something towards oneself or a specific point.
What is a "haul rope"?
A rope used for dragging or towing something.
What is the origin of "hall"?
"Hall" comes from Old English, referring to a large room or building.
Can "haul" be used as a noun?
Yes, "haul" can refer to the quantity of something obtained or transported.
What's a "haul video"?
A video showcasing a person's recent purchases.
Can "hall" be part of a place name?
Yes, it's common in names of buildings and venues.
Is "hall" synonymous with "auditorium"?
Not exactly, but both can be used for events; "hall" is more general.
What is a "hall of residence"?
Another term for a dormitory at a university or college.
Are there halls in medieval architecture?
Yes, great halls were central to medieval castles.
What does "haul off" mean?
It means to suddenly take someone or something away.
Is "haul out" a nautical term?
Yes, it refers to removing a boat from the water.
What is a "concert hall"?
A hall designed acoustically for musical performances.
Can "hall" refer to an entire building?
Yes, especially when used in the context of a named institution.
About Author
Written by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
