gulf
- 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.
- to swallow up; engulf.
Origin of gulf
Synonyms for gulf
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for gulf
sound, harbor, cove, bay, bayou, bight, slough, basin, whirlpool, firth, crevasse, hiatus, hollow, rent, chasm, pit, abyss, cavity, cave, splitExamples from the Web for gulf
Contemporary Examples of gulf
The outlets giving these pronouncements the most airtime are Arabic news stations in the Gulf.
But The Pinkprint gives little consideration to the gulf between her various musical selves.
Sadly, laws throughout the Middle East—from North Africa to the Gulf—limit the rights of religious minorities and non-believers.
In the south, the Gulf States view their Persian nuclear neighbor as a permanent archenemy.
A sign that the Gulf States and/or Turkey told the White House they were getting out if the footsie continued?
Historical Examples of gulf
Settlements have been established on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
The gulf which separates parents and children is one which the parents must cross.
The Conquest of FearBasil King
As a matter of fact, we dig a gulf between the material and the spiritual which does not exist.
The Conquest of FearBasil King
She passed listlessly out, and down the path toward the gulf.
In the ValleyHarold Frederic
For her sake—for your Fanny's sake—pause, like me, before the gulf swallow us.
Night and Morning, CompleteEdward Bulwer-Lytton
gulf
- 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
- (tr) to swallow up; engulf
Word Origin for gulf
Gulf
- the Persian Gulf
- Australian
- the Gulf of Carpentaria
- (modifier)of, relating to, or adjoining the GulfGulf country
- NZ the Hauraki Gulf
Word Origin and History for gulf
late 14c., "profound depth;" geographic sense is c.1400; from Old French golf "a gulf, whirlpool," from Italian golfo "a gulf, a bay," from Late Latin colfos, from Greek kolpos "bay, gulf," earlier "trough between waves, fold of a garment," originally "bosom," the common notion being "curved shape," from PIE *kwelp- "to arch, to vault" (cf. Old English hwealf, a-hwielfan "to overwhelm"). Latin sinus underwent the same development, being used first for "bosom," later for "gulf." Replaced Old English sæ-earm. Figurative sense of "a wide interval" is from 1550s. The Gulf Stream (1775) takes its name from the Gulf of Mexico.
gulf
- A large body of ocean or sea water that is partly surrounded by land.