gulf

English Online Dictionary. What means gulf‎? What does gulf mean?

English

Alternative forms

• gulph (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English gulf, goulf, golf, from Old French golf, from Italian golfo, from Late Latin colfos, from Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, gulf”), of obscure origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kʷelp- (“to curve, arch”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: gŭlf, IPA^(key): /ɡʌlf/
• (gulf-golf merger) IPA^(key): /ɡɒlf/
• Homophone: golf (gulf-golf merger)
• Rhymes: -ʌlf, -ɒlf
• Hyphenation: gulf

Noun

gulf (plural gulfs)

1. A hollow place in the earth; an abyss; a deep chasm or basin.
2. (obsolete) That which swallows; the gullet.
3. That which swallows irretrievably; a whirlpool; a sucking eddy.
4. (geography) A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially landlocked sea

5. (mining) A large deposit of ore in a lode.
6. (figurative) A wide interval or gap; a separating space.
7. (figurative) A difference, especially a large difference, between groups.
8. (Oxbridge slang) The bottom part of a list of those awarded a degree, for those who have only just passed.

Synonyms

• (difference): abyss, rift

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• gulf on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

gulf (third-person singular simple present gulfs, present participle gulfing, simple past and past participle gulfed)

1. (transitive) To engulf.
2. (Oxbridge slang, transitive) To award a degree to somebody who has only just passed sufficiently.