Welcome to our list of things that are hollow! 🐚🥥🔘
Hollowness refers to the characteristic of having an empty space or cavity inside. This quality can be found in various natural and man-made objects, from hollow tree trunks and animal burrows to manufactured items like pipes and vessels. In nature, hollowness often serves purposes like shelter for animals or a means for plants to reduce weight and conserve resources.
Here’s a visual list of things that are hollow, with a categorised descriptive list below:
Food
Hollow foods are either naturally formed with an internal cavity or are manufactured in a way that creates a space within. This characteristic can contribute to the food’s texture, presentation, and culinary use. Here’s a list of various hollow foods, along with their unique aspects:
- Bell Peppers: Naturally hollow, their internal space is often filled with ingredients for stuffed pepper dishes.
- Pasta Shells: Designed to be hollow, they are perfect for holding sauces or stuffing with fillings like cheese or meat.
- Puff Pastry: When baked, layers of dough and butter expand, creating a hollow interior ideal for fillings.
- Cannoli: Italian pastries consisting of hollow, tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling.
- Chocolate Easter Eggs: Often made hollow and can be filled with small candies or gifts.
- Pita Bread: Often bakes up with a hollow interior, forming a pocket that can be filled with various ingredients.
- Croissants: Properly baked croissants have a light, airy, and somewhat hollow interior due to the layered pastry.
- Bamboo Shoots: Used in various Asian dishes, they are naturally hollow and add a crunchy texture.
- Hollow Chocolates: Crafted to be hollow, these chocolates can be used as decorative pieces or filled with various confections.
- Calamari Rings: When squid is sliced into rings, the resulting shape is naturally hollow, perfect for frying or stuffing.
- Bagels: The baking process leaves a hole in the middle, creating a hollow space.
- Cream Puffs: Made from choux pastry which puffs up during baking, leaving a hollow center to be filled with cream or custard.
- Macaroni: This tube-shaped pasta is hollow, making it great for holding onto sauces.
- Profiteroles: Similar to cream puffs, these are made with choux pastry and are often filled with sweet fillings.
- Hollowed Out Fruits and Vegetables: Like pumpkins or apples, which can be hollowed and stuffed or used as serving containers.
- Hot Dog Buns: Specially designed to have a hollow space to accommodate the sausage or hot dog.
- Doughnuts: Some varieties, like ring doughnuts, are hollow in the center.
- Bundt Cakes: Characterized by their ring shape, which creates a hollow center.
- Éclairs: Oblong pastries made with choux dough that are hollow and typically filled with cream and topped with chocolate icing.
- Sourdough Bread Bowls: Often hollowed out to serve soups or stews inside.
- Lavash Bread: When baked, it can puff up, creating a hollow pocket similar to pita bread.
- Hollow Ice Cream Cones: The cone is typically hollow to hold ice cream.
- Tortilla Wraps: Can be wrapped around ingredients, creating a hollow center.
- Zucchini: Can be hollowed out and stuffed with various fillings.
- Cucumbers: When seeded, they become hollow and can be used for salads or as cups for dips.
- Bao Buns: Asian buns that are steamed to create a light, hollow interior for fillings.
- Meringue Nests: Whipped egg whites and sugar baked until crisp with a hollow center, often filled with fruit and cream.
- Rice Paper Rolls: When rolled, they create a hollow center for fresh vegetables, herbs, and proteins.
- Phyllo Cups: Thin layers of phyllo dough baked into cup shapes, creating a hollow center for sweet or savory fillings.
- Cheese Puffs: Baked or fried dough that puffs up, creating a hollow interior with a crispy exterior.
- Yorkshire Pudding: When baked, this English dish puffs up, creating a hollow center that’s often filled with gravy.
- Indian Puri: Deep-fried bread that puffs up into a hollow ball, typically served with savory accompaniments.
- Jalapeño Poppers: Jalapeños that are hollowed out and stuffed with cheese and other ingredients before being baked or fried.
- Hollowed Out Baguettes: Used for submarine sandwiches or filled with soups and stews.
- Spring Roll Wrappers: When rolled, these create a hollow center for a variety of fillings.
- Hollowed Out Apples: Can be baked with fillings like oatmeal, nuts, and raisins.
- Churros: A fried-dough pastry that, when piped in a certain way, is hollow and often filled with sweet fillings like chocolate or dulce de leche.
- Potato Skins: Hollowed-out potato halves that are baked or fried and filled with toppings like cheese, bacon, and sour cream.
- Choux Pastry Swan: A decorative pastry that puffs up, creating a hollow body that can be filled with cream.
- Pepperoni Sticks: Often have a hollow center, especially when sliced.
- Brioche a Tete: A French pastry that has a hollow bottom section when the ‘tete’ or head is removed.
- Hollowed Out Bell Peppers for Eggs: A breakfast dish where eggs are baked inside bell pepper rings.
- Tomatoes: When hollowed, they can be filled with a variety of ingredients like tuna salad or couscous.
- Vietnamese Pho Rolls: Similar to spring rolls, the wrapping creates a hollow center for fillings.
- Hollowed Out Cabbages: Used in dishes where they are stuffed with meat and rice mixtures.
- Pastry Horns: Made using conical molds, they are hollow and can be filled with cream or custard.
- Stuffed Pasta Tubes: Like cannelloni or manicotti, which are filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables.
- Papadum: An Indian flatbread that sometimes puffs up when fried, creating a hollow space.
- Crispy Hollow Cookies: Certain types of cookies that are baked in a way that leaves a hollow center.
- Stuffed Eggplants: When hollowed out, eggplants can be filled with a mixture of meats, grains, and spices.
Plants
Plants with hollow stems or properties have adapted this feature for various reasons, including structural support, nutrient transport, or as a defense mechanism. Here’s a list of plants known for their hollow characteristics:
- Bamboo: Known for its hollow stem, bamboo is used in construction, furniture making, and various other applications due to its strength and flexibility.
- Common Reed (Phragmites): These tall grasses have hollow stems and are often found in wetlands.
- Dandelions: The stems are hollow, which helps transport nutrients and water.
- Fennel: The stems of fennel are hollow and are used in cooking for their anise-like flavor.
- Angelica: Known for its large, hollow stems, which are sometimes candied or used in distillation.
- Japanese Knotweed: An invasive species with a bamboo-like, hollow stem.
- Teasel: Recognizable by their prickly, hollow stem and distinctive flower head.
- Giant Hogweed: It has a thick, hollow stem and is known for its phototoxic sap.
- Cow Parsnip: Similar to giant hogweed, with a large, hollow stem.
- Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata): The fruit is initially solid but becomes hollow as it matures.
- Rhubarb: The stems are hollow and are popularly used in pies and desserts.
- Quackgrass: A widespread weed with hollow stems.
- Sunflowers: Mature sunflower stems are typically hollow and sturdy.
- Tobacco Plants: They have a robust, hollow stem when mature.
- Lunaria (Honesty or Money Plant): After the seeds are dispersed, the remaining seed pods are translucent and hollow.
- Horsetail (Equisetum): Ancient plant species with jointed, hollow stems.
- Wild Lettuce: Known for its hollow stem and milky sap.
- Pumpkins and Squashes: The vines of these plants have hollow interiors.
- Goldenrod: A common wildflower with a hollow stem.
- Hollow-Stemmed Asphodel: Its name reflects its hollow stem characteristic.
- Hogweed: Features a thick, hollow stem and large, umbrella-shaped flower clusters.
- Himalayan Balsam: An invasive plant with a distinctly hollow stem.
- Milk Thistle: Known for its hollow, spiny stem and milky sap.
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit: Produces a unique, hollow flower structure.
- Cattails: Found in wetlands, they have a characteristic brown, cylindrical, and hollow flowering spike.
- Foxglove: The stems are typically hollow, especially in larger plants.
- Pipevine: Named for its pipe-like, hollow floral structure.
- Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella): After flowering, it leaves behind a hollow seed pod.
- Giant Reed (Arundo donax): A tall, perennial grass with hollow stems.
- Papyrus: An ancient plant used in paper-making, known for its triangular, hollow stems.
Everyday Objects
Hollow everyday objects are common in various aspects of daily life, serving functional, aesthetic, or structural purposes. Their hollowness often contributes to their effectiveness, ease of use, or portability. Here’s a list of such objects:
- Straws: Used for drinking, they are essentially hollow tubes, typically made of plastic or metal.
- Pipes: Used in plumbing and construction, pipes are hollow to allow the flow of liquids and gases.
- Musical Instruments (like flutes and saxophones): Many are hollow to allow air to flow through, producing sound.
- Pens and Markers: Often have hollow barrels to hold ink or other writing substances.
- Drinking Glasses: Hollow to hold liquids for drinking.
- Balloons: When inflated, they are hollow and filled with air or helium.
- Tunnels: Structural passages that are hollow, allowing transportation through them.
- Bottles and Jars: Containers that are hollow for holding liquids and other substances.
- Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Rolls: The cardboard rolls are hollow.
- Electrical Cables: The wiring is typically covered with a hollow, insulating sheath.
- Hollow-Core Doors: Interior doors that are hollow to reduce weight and cost.
- Garden Hoses: Designed to be hollow to transport water.
- Birdhouses: Small, hollow structures for birds to nest in.
- Syringes: Medical tools that are hollow to draw in and inject fluids.
- Pillows and Cushions: Hollow and filled with materials like foam or feathers for comfort.
- Soccer Balls, Basketballs, and Other Inflatable Sports Balls: Hollow and inflated with air to the proper pressure.
- Mailboxes: Typically hollow to contain letters and packages.
- Ductwork for Heating and Cooling Systems: Hollow tubes that distribute air throughout buildings.
- Empty Picture Frames: Hollow in the center to display pictures or artwork.
- Lamp Shades: Hollow to diffuse light from a light bulb.
- Backpacks and Bags: Essentially hollow to carry personal items.
- Kettles and Pots: Hollow containers used for boiling or cooking.
- Vases: Hollow to hold flowers and water.
- Bowls and Dishes: Hollow to hold food.
- Wine Barrels and Kegs: Hollow containers used for storing and aging beverages.
- Gloves and Mittens: Hollow to fit hands for warmth or protection.
- Boxes: Made of various materials, they are hollow for storage.
- Helmets: Hollow to fit over the head for protection.
- Coffee Mugs: Hollow to hold hot beverages.
- Subway and Railway Tunnels: Large-scale hollow structures for transportation.
- Canoes and Kayaks: Hollow to allow seating and buoyancy on water.
- Fire Extinguishers: Hollow cylinders containing fire-suppressant chemicals.
- Umbrellas: The canopy is hollow to protect from rain or sunlight.
- Stethoscopes: Hollow tubes that carry sound from the chest piece to the earpieces.
- Mattresses: Some have hollow spaces for springs or air.
- Teapots: Hollow for steeping and pouring tea.
- Bicycle Frames: Often hollow to reduce weight while maintaining strength.
- Trash Cans and Waste Baskets: Hollow containers for holding refuse.
- Life Jackets: Hollow with air or buoyant materials for flotation.
- Sponges: Porous and hollow in structure, used for cleaning or bathing.
- Gift Boxes: Hollow for placing gifts inside.
- Curtain Rods: Often hollow to reduce weight and facilitate easy installation.
- Vacuum Cleaners: Contain hollow parts for airflow and dirt collection.
- Egg Cartons: Hollow spaces designed to protect eggs.
- Luggage: Hollow for packing and transporting personal belongings.
- Toy Rockets and Airplanes: Often hollow to allow for flight or to reduce weight.
- Cookie Cutters: Hollow shapes used for cutting cookie dough.
- Bike Helmets: Hollow to fit the head and provide protection.
- Coffee Filters: Hollow to hold ground coffee and allow water to pass through.
- Wind Chimes: Often have hollow tubes to create musical sounds when moved by the wind.
- Telescopes: Optical tubes are hollow to allow light to travel through the lenses or mirrors.
- Gutters and Downspouts: Hollow to channel rainwater away from buildings.
- Drum Shells: The body of drums is hollow to resonate sound.
- Candle Holders: Often hollow to hold candles.
- Cupboards and Cabinets: Hollow structures for storing items.
- Pool Noodles: Foam cylinders that are hollow and used for buoyancy in swimming pools.
- Muffin Tins and Baking Pans: Hollow molds for cooking.
- Christmas Ornaments: Many are hollow to be lightweight for hanging on trees.
- Fishing Rods: Often hollow to enhance flexibility and reduce weight.
- Wine Glasses: Hollow to hold wine and other beverages.
- Eyeglass Frames: Hollow to fit lenses.
- Key Rings: Hollow rings for holding keys.
- Lunch Boxes: Hollow to contain food.
- Shopping Carts: Hollow baskets for holding groceries.
- Ocarinas: Wind instruments that are hollow to create musical notes.
- Bike Locks: U-shaped locks are hollow to fit around bike frames.
- Tire Rims: Hollow to fit tires and attach to the vehicle’s axle.
- Cheese Graters: Hollow with perforations for grating cheese.
- Juice Extractors: Hollow to hold fruits and vegetables for juicing.
- Ice Cube Trays: Hollow molds for freezing water into ice.
- Door Handles and Knobs: Often hollow for ease of installation and use.
- Seedling Trays: Hollow compartments for growing plant seedlings.
- Hair Brushes and Combs: Some designs have hollow bodies or handles.
- Light Bulbs: Hollow glass spheres or shapes filled with gases or vacuum.
- Soccer Goal Frames: Typically hollow metal structures.
We hope this list of hollow things was useful and that you found what you needed!
We did our best to cover all of the varied meanings of “hollow” with our visual gallery of hollow things and descriptive list. But if you feel there’s something we missed, please feel free to let us know and leave a comment.
Thank you for visiting Thing Database! 🐚🥥🔘