gully

¹

[ guhl-ee ]

noun

, plural gul·lies.

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)

, gul·lied, gul·ly·ing.

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 gul·lies.

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

/ gŭl′ē /

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

Fire officials said the cause was arson and arrested Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, accusing him of pushing a burning car down a gully.

From Los Angeles Times

A satellite image showed a cloud of dust in a gully in the fjord.

From BBC

On seven he slashed past the fingertips of gully and, on 15, chipped Milan Rathnayake beyond mid-off.

From BBC

An edge between slip and gully when he had two was the closest Root came to an error.

From BBC

Eventually, the missing man recovered enough phone signal to make an emergency call, and he was located in a gully.

From BBC

Related Words

• chasm
• crevasse
• culvert
• trench