gully

¹

[guhl-ee]

noun

plural

gullies 

1. a small valley or ravine originally worn away by running water and serving as a drainageway after prolonged heavy rains.

   Synonyms: watercourse, defile, gorge, gulch

2. a ditch or gutter.

3. Cricket.

   1. the position of a fielder between point and slips.

   2. the fielder occupying this position.

verb (used with object)

gullied, gullying 

1. to make gullies in.

2. to form (channels) by the action of water.

adjective

1. Slang.,  of or relating to the environment, culture, or life experience in poor urban neighborhoods; vulgar, raw, or authentic; ghetto: Keepin’ it gully, for real!

   Does your mama know what you’re up to on these gully street corners all night?

   Keepin’ it gully, for real!

gully

²

Or gul·ley

[guhl-ee, gool-ee]

noun

Scot. and North England.

plural

gullies 

1. a knife, especially a large kitchen or butcher knife.

gully

¹

/ ˈɡʌlɪ /

noun

1. a channel or small valley, esp one cut by heavy rainwater

2. a small bush-clad valley

3. a deep, wide fissure between two buttresses in a mountain face, sometimes containing a stream or scree

4. cricket

   1. a fielding position between the slips and point

   2. a fielder in this position

5. either of the two channels at the side of a tenpin bowling lane

verb

1. (tr) to make (channels) in (the ground, sand, etc)

gully

²

/ ˈɡʌlɪ /

noun

1. a large knife, such as a butcher's knife

gully

1. A narrow, steep-sided channel formed in loose earth by running water. A gully is usually dry except after periods of heavy rainfall or after the melting of snow or ice.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gully¹

First recorded in 1530–40; apparently a variant of gullet, with -y replacing French -et

Origin of gully²

First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of gully¹

C16: from French goulet neck of a bottle; see _gullet

Origin of gully²

C16: of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Even with the Babushkinov’s troika dragged halfway into the gully at the road’s edge, the mail sled came so close that it splattered mud on them as it passed.

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"I remember Jason Roy was fielding there at leg gully, and he was diving left and right for the first 30 balls, just missing him there, just missing him there," Broad said.

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It resulted in eight catches between wicketkeeper and gully - four of which were Root attempting to steer to third man off either the front or back foot.

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"Rising water levels in rivers, gullies, and swamps could cause crocodiles to move into residential areas," the South East Regional Health Authority said in a statement.

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A woman says she was "shocked" when she was fined £150 for tipping the remnants of her coffee down a road gully in west London.

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Related Words

• chasm 
• crevasse 
• culvert 
• trench