English Explanatory Dictionary

gully

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A trench, ravine or narrow channel which was worn by water flow, especially on a hillside.
  2. A small valley.
  3. A drop kerb.
  4. A road drain.
  5. A fielding position on the off side about 30 degrees behind square, between the slips and point; a fielder in such a position
  6. A grooved iron rail or tram plate.
verb
  1. To flow noisily.
  2. To wear away into a gully or gullies.
noun
  1. A large knife.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

gŭl'ē /ˈɡʌli/ en-us-gully.ogg en-au-gully.ogg

Word forms

gully gullies gulley gullying gullied Gullys

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Possibly from a variant of Middle English golet (“esophagus, gullet”), from Old French goulet, from Latin gula (“throat”). Shift in meaning in Middle English to "water channel, ravine" may have been influenced by Middle English gylle, gille, galle (“deep narrow valley, ravine”); see gill. Compare Dutch geul. Alternatively, from a diminutive of dialectal gull (“fissue, chasm”) + -y (diminutive suffix). See gull, gullick.

Synonyms

gill box

Related words

gullet hully gully

Derived words

California Gully Carey Gully Charlton Gully Cherry Gully Coopers Gully Fern Gully Ferntree Gully Flowery Gully Geegully Creek Golden Gully Green Gully gullick gulligut gully bean gully eductor gully emptier gully gut gully hole gully-hole gully-raker gully sucker gully wash gullywasher Hacketts Gully Horsnell Gully Jones Gully Kangaroo Gully Long Gully Maiden Gully Northern Gully Pile Gully Red Gully Rocky Gully Rudds Gully Sailors Gully Sandy Gully Sawyers Gully Sheedys Gully Smiths Gully Spring Gully State Mine Gully Tea Tree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully Waterfall Gully
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