gulf

[ guhlf ]

/ gʌlf /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gulf ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a portion of an ocean or sea partly enclosed by land.

a deep hollow; chasm or abyss.

any wide separation, as in position, status, or education.

something that engulfs or swallows up.

verb (used with object)

to swallow up; engulf.

Nearby words

gular, gulbenkian, gulch, gulden, gules, gulf, gulf cooperation council, gulf intracoastal waterway, gulf of mexico, gulf states, gulf stream

Origin of gulf

1300–50; Middle English go(u)lf < Old French golfe < Italian golfo < Late Greek kólphos, Greek kólpos bosom, lap, bay

SYNONYMS FOR gulf

2 canyon, gorge, gully, cleft, rift, split.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gulf ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

gulf·like, adjectivegulf·y, adjective

Can be confused

bay cove gulf inlet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gulf

The outlets giving these pronouncements the most airtime are Arabic news stations in the Gulf.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But The Pinkprint gives little consideration to the gulf between her various musical selves.
Nicki Minaj Bares Her Own Vulnerability on ‘The Pinkprint’|Rawiya Kameir|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sadly, laws throughout the Middle East—from North Africa to the Gulf—limit the rights of religious minorities and non-believers.
What It’s Like to Be an Atheist in Palestine|Waleed al-Husseini, Movements.Org|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the south, the Gulf States view their Persian nuclear neighbor as a permanent archenemy.
The Nuclear Deal That Iran’s Regime Fears Most|Djavad Khadem|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It would transport bitumen and liquefied natural gas drawn from the tar sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast, mainly in Texas.
The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL|Jack Holmes|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The night on which we entered the Gulf Stream, off the coast of the Carolinas, the weather was exceedingly suspicious.
Jack in the Forecastle|John Sherburne Sleeper
Also, a shallow inlet or gulf: the east-country term for the sea-shore.
The Sailor's Word-Book|William Henry Smyth
What is left to him, I believe, he has now thrown into the gulf.
Sandra Belloni, Complete|George Meredith
Setting sail down the gulf they ran before a fair breeze which speedily increased to a favouring gale.
Fort Desolation|R.M. Ballantyne
The vast stain of mud and alluvial filth extended for leagues into the gulf.
Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for gulf (1 of 2)

gulf

/ (ɡʌlf) /

noun

a large deep bay

a deep chasm

something that divides or separates, such as a lack of understanding

something that engulfs, such as a whirlpool

verb

(tr) to swallow up; engulf

Derived Forms

gulflike, adjectivegulfy, adjective

Word Origin for gulf

C14: from Old French golfe, from Italian golfo, from Greek kolpos

British Dictionary definitions for gulf (2 of 2)

Gulf

/ (ɡʌlf) /

noun the Gulf

the Persian Gulf

Australian

the Gulf of Carpentaria
(modifier) of, relating to, or adjoining the GulfGulf country

NZ the Hauraki Gulf

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

Science definitions for gulf

gulf

[ gŭlf ]

A large body of ocean or sea water that is partly surrounded by land.