gulf

[ guhlf ]
See synonyms for gulf on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a portion of an ocean or sea partly enclosed by land.

  2. a deep hollow; chasm or abyss.

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

  2. something that engulfs or swallows up.

verb (used with object)
  1. to swallow up; engulf.

Origin of gulf

1
1300–50; Middle English go(u)lf<Old French golfe<Italian golfo<Late Greek kólphos,Greek kólpos bosom, lap, bay

Other words for gulf

Other words from gulf

  • gulflike, adjective
  • gulfy, adjective

Words that may be confused with gulf

Words Nearby gulf

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How to use gulf in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gulf (1 of 2)

gulf

/ (ɡʌlf) /


noun
  1. a large deep bay

  2. a deep chasm

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

  2. something that engulfs, such as a whirlpool

verb
  1. (tr) to swallow up; engulf

Origin of gulf

1
C14: from Old French golfe, from Italian golfo, from Greek kolpos

Derived forms of gulf

  • gulflike, adjective
  • gulfy, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Gulf (2 of 2)

Gulf

/ (ɡʌlf) /


nounthe Gulf
  1. the Persian Gulf

  2. Australian

    • the Gulf of Carpentaria

    • (modifier) of, relating to, or adjoining the Gulf: Gulf country

  1. 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 ]


  1. 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.