Dictionary.com
definitions

gulch

[ guhlch ]
/ gʌltʃ /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gulch ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a deep, narrow ravine, especially one marking the course of a stream or torrent.

RELATED CONTENT

The Many, Many Words For DrunkardsGrab your drink of choice and join us as we look back on some of the best words for drunkards from history. 1. He’s biggy Here’s the thing: We’ve been getting drunk since the stone age. (We as in “humans,” not necessarily we as in the Dictionary.com staff.) Why? Well for one thing, it’s fun. For another, it’s a communal, social activity, and we (as …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

cut, ditch, gap, trench, channel, gorge, valley, arroyo, gulley

Nearby words

  1. gula,
  2. gulag,
  3. gular,
  4. gulbarga,
  5. gulbenkian,
  6. gulden,
  7. gules,
  8. gulf,
  9. gulf cooperation council,
  10. gulf intracoastal waterway

Origin of gulch

1825–35; compare British dialect gulch, gulsh to run with a full stream, gush, (of land) to sink in, Middle English gulchen to spew forth, gush; expressive word akin to gulp, gush, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gulch

British Dictionary definitions for gulch

gulch

/ (ɡʌltʃ) /

noun

US and Canadian a narrow ravine cut by a fast stream

Word Origin for gulch

C19: of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for gulch

gulch

n.

"deep ravine," 1832, American English, perhaps from obsolete or dialectal verb gulsh "sink in" (of land), "gush out" (of water), from Middle English gulchen "to gush forth; to drink greedily" (c.1200). Cf. gulche-cuppe "a greedy drinker" (mid-13c.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper