gull
1[ guhl ]
/ gʌl /
Save This Word!
noun
any of numerous long-winged, web-toed, aquatic birds of the family Laridae, having usually white plumage with a gray back and wings.
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Origin of gull
11400–50; late Middle English gulle, perhaps <Welsh gŵylan,Cornish guilan (compare French goéland<Breton gwelan)
OTHER WORDS FROM gull
gull-like, adjectiveOther definitions for gull (2 of 2)
gull2
[ guhl ]
/ gʌl /
verb (used with object)
to deceive, trick, or cheat.
noun
a person who is easily deceived or cheated; dupe.
Origin of gull
2First recorded in 1540–50; perhaps akin to obsolete gull to swallow, guzzle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gull in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for gull (1 of 2)
gull1
/ (ɡʌl) /
noun
any aquatic bird of the genus Larus and related genera, such as L. canus (common gull or mew) having long pointed wings, short legs, and a mostly white plumage: family Laridae, order CharadriiformesRelated adjective: larine
Derived forms of gull
gull-like, adjectiveWord Origin for gull
C15: of Celtic origin; compare Welsh gwylan
British Dictionary definitions for gull (2 of 2)
gull2
/ (ɡʌl) archaic /
noun
a person who is easily fooled or cheated
verb
(tr) to fool, cheat, or hoax
Word Origin for gull
C16: perhaps from dialect gull unfledged bird, probably from gul, from Old Norse gulr yellow
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