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

"There are teams on either side of a gully cutting into the hillside and cutting down trees to create a firebreak," she explained.

From BBC

Then came a flash of light so bright that in the dead of night they could briefly see out their window the rocks and gullies of the San Gabriel foothills behind their house.

From Los Angeles Times

Karun Nair was greeted by three slips, a gully, a short leg and a leg gully, the most popular man in north London.

From BBC

England were wobbling when Root joined Pope, who had already been put down by Gill at gully from the first ball he faced off Reddy.

From BBC

A short distance away from her workshop lies Kolhapur's famous chappal gully, or sandal lane, a cluster of storefronts - many of them struggling to stay afloat.

From BBC

Related Words

• chasm 
• crevasse 
• culvert 
• trench