English Explanatory Dictionary

gulf

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A hollow place in the earth; an abyss; a deep chasm or basin.
  2. That which swallows; the gullet.
  3. That which swallows irretrievably; a whirlpool; a sucking eddy.
  4. A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially landlocked sea
  5. A large deposit of ore in a lode.
  6. A wide interval or gap; a separating space.
  7. A difference, especially a large difference, between groups.
  8. The bottom part of a list of those awarded a degree, for those who have only just passed.
verb
  1. To engulf.
  2. To award a degree to somebody who has only just passed sufficiently.
name
  1. The Persian Gulf, or the region surrounding it.
  2. The Gulf of Mexico, or the region surrounding it.
  3. An epoch constituting a subdivision of the Cretaceous.

Pronunciation

gŭlf /ɡʌlf/ en-us-gulf.ogg /ɡɒlf/

Word forms

gulf gulfs gulph gulfing gulfed the Gulf

Etymology

From Middle English gulf, goulf, golf, from Old French golf, from Italian golfo, from Late Latin colfos, from Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, gulf”), of obscure origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve, arch”).

Synonyms

abyss rift Gulfian

Related words

colpus

Derived words

engulf Gulf Coast Gulf County Gulf Creek gulflike Gulfport Gulf Stream Gulf War gulfward gulfwards gulfweed gulfy Newgulf Roper Gulf The Gulf policeman of the Gulf
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