gulf Definition
gulf (gulf)
noun
- a large body of sea or ocean water, typically larger than a bay, that is partially enclosed by land
- a wide, deep chasm or abyss
- a wide or impassable gap or separation
- an eddy that draws objects down; whirlpool
Etymology: ME goulf < OFr golfe < It golfo < LGr kolphos, for Gr kolpos, a fold, bosom, gulf, prob. < IE *kwolpos < base *kwel-, to turn > Ger wölben, to arch
transitive verb
to swallow up; engulf
gulf Idioms
the Gulf
- the Persian Gulf or the surrounding region
- the Gulf of Mexico or the surrounding region
gulf Synonyms
gulf
n.
gulf Usage Examples
Converse of object
- yawn: On the Middle East a difference in emphasis has become a yawning gulf.
- widen: Previous article: Widening gulf between Parliaments ( Fri 4th Mar 2005 ).
- bridge: The Church alone can bridge the gulf between the divided communities.
- underline: One ace in particular underlined the gulf between Williams at her best and the rest of the field.
- expose: The first hour exposed a huge gulf between Leeds and the team that started the game at the top of a premature Premiership table.
- fix: Yet there was a great gulf fixed between them.
Preposition: between
- rhetoric: We have already seen the gulf between rhetoric and reality in the European Union.
- expectation: The starting point is the growing gulf between voter expectations of higher public spending and their actual experience.
Adjective modifier
- unbridgeable: Normally the mind would reject any doctrine proposed for its belief with this unbridgeable gulf in it.
- impassable: According to the same author these living ones " have chosen to proclaim the existence of an impassable gulf between the revolutionary ( ?
- enormous: There is this enormous gulf between them, which is amplified by Haynes's use of distanced camera takes.
- vast: She could not look at him through an interval that seemed to her a vast gulf of time.
- huge: The whole thing sets a huge gulf in our understanding.
- deep: With most Americans I feel a deeper gulf still.
Modifies a noun
- cvb: Should include each now rent out gulf coast cvb.
- coast: Forster's Tern Very common on the gulf coast.
- stream: Imagine your own four mile private sandy beach with a sparkling sea warmed by the gulf stream.
- war: The United States got involved in the gulf war for economic reasons.
Noun used with modifier
widening: Alan knows, it's only fair that you- ' A glance at Alan indicated a widening gulf.
Preposition: of
execution: The previous model of interaction included the ` gulf of execution ' .
Browse dictionary entries near gulf
- Gulf States ›
- Gulf Stream ›
- Gulf War ›
- Gulf War syndrome ›
- gulfweed ›
- gull ›
- Gullah ›
- gullet ›
- gullible ›
- Gulliver's Travels ›

