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gulf

GULF/ɡʌlf/

Pluralgulfs

Verbgulfs, gulfing, gulfed

10 meanings of gulf

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  1. 1
    baynouncountable
    A part of the sea that reaches into the land, with land on several sides of it.

    We watched the sun go down over the gulf from our hotel balcony.

    Many kinds of whales swim in the Gulf of California.

    Similarbay

    Note
  2. 2
    between groupsnounfigurativelycountable
    A difference between groups, often a big one.

    There is a big gulf between rich and poor families in this city.

    By halftime, the gulf between the two teams was clear to everyone.

    Similargap, divide, rift, chasm, split

    Note
  3. 3
    separationnounfigurativelycountable
    A wide space or gap that keeps two things apart.

    There is a gulf of fifty years between these two photos of the town.

    After the fight, a gulf grew between the two old friends.

    Similargap, chasm, distance

    Note
  4. 4
    deep holenouncountable
    A very deep hole or opening in the ground.

    The hikers stopped at the edge of the gulf and looked down.

    A stone fell into the dark gulf, and we never heard it land.

    Similarchasm, abyss, gorge, ravine

    Note
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    Something that swallows things and never gives them back, like water that spins and pulls things down.

    The log spun around in the gulf and was pulled under the water.

    For the family, the old farm was a gulf that swallowed all their money.

    Similarwhirlpool, maelstrom, vortex

  6. 6
    swallow upverbtransitive
    To cover something or swallow it up completely.

    Similarengulf, swallow

    Note
  7. 7
    ore depositnouncountable
    A large amount of metal-rich rock found in one part of a vein in a mine.

    The miners dug into a gulf of rich silver ore.

    Near the surface the rock held little silver, but deeper down the miners found a gulf that made the owners rich.

    Note
  8. 8
    bottom of listnoun
    The bottom of the list of students who get a degree, for those who only just passed.

    He did not study much, so his name was in the gulf.

    She was in the gulf, but she still got her degree.

    Note
  9. 9
    give lowest degreeverbtransitive
    To give a degree to a student who only just passed.

    The examiners may gulf him if his last exam goes badly.

    If he is gulfed, he will still leave with a degree.

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 10
    throatnounobsolete
    The tube that food goes down when you swallow, or anything else that swallows.

    The big fish opened its mouth, and the small fish went down its gulf.

    Witch's mummy, maw and gulf / Of the ravined salt sea shark,
    c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”Here, gulf means the throat or gullet, the tube food goes down.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

It came into English through French, Italian and Latin from a Greek word meaning "bosom" or "gulf".