gulf

[ guhlf ]

/ gʌlf /

SEE 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.

Words nearby gulf

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 SYNONYMS FOR gulf ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM gulf

gulf·like, adjectivegulf·y, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH gulf

bay cove gulf inlet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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 of gulf

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

Scientific definitions for gulf

gulf

[ gŭlf ]

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

gulf

noun

verb (used with object)

Words related to gulf

Words nearby gulf

Origin of gulf

SYNONYMS FOR gulf

OTHER WORDS FROM gulf

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH gulf

Examples from the Web for gulf

British Dictionary definitions for gulf (1 of 2)

noun

verb

Derived forms of gulf

Word Origin for gulf

British Dictionary definitions for gulf (2 of 2)

noun the Gulf

Scientific definitions for gulf