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gulf

[ guhlf ]
/ gÊŒlf /
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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.
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Origin of gulf

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

OTHER WORDS FROM gulf

gulflike, adjectivegulfy, 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. 2023

How to use gulf in a sentence

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
  1. the Gulf of Carpentaria
  2. (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
[ gÅ­lf ]

A large body of ocean or sea water that is partly surrounded by land.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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