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”).
A hollow place in the earth; an abyss; a deep chasm or basin.
He then surveyed / Hell and the gulf between.1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Of course, there was no arguing against this, but one thing was clear, we could not attempt that leap in the dark; the only thing to do was to wait for the ray of light which pierced through the gulf at sunset.1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
2 more examples
For though my nature rarely yields To that vague fear implied in death; Nor shudders at the gulfs beneath, The howlings from forgotten fields; […]1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XL”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 62:
It is told that that traveller came at last to the utter End and there was a mighty gulf, and in the darkness at the bottom of the gulf one small god crept, no bigger than a hare, whose voice came crying in the cold: “I know not.” And beyond the gulf was nought, only the small god crying.1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 55:
Witch's mummy, maw and gulf / Of the ravined salt sea shark,c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], line 23:
3
That which swallows irretrievably; a whirlpool; a sucking eddy.
[T]here is no such mine, / None; but a gulf of ruin, swallowing gold, not making.1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Sea Dreams”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 100:
4
Geography, Natural sciences A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially landlocked sea
Figuratively A wide interval or gap; a separating space.
Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 16:26:
`Behold now, let the Dead and Living meet! Across the gulf of Time they still are one.'1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
7
Figuratively A difference, especially a large difference, between groups.
Only the gulf between them was widened still further by the Negro cops in the precinct, bad-mouthing among themselves about their fellow white cops unnecessarily throwing their authority around and singling out Sullivan as a prime example.1970, Wally Ferris, Across 110th, page 106:
England were graphically illustrating the huge gulf in class between the sides and it was no surprise when Lampard added the second just before the half hour. Steven Gerrard found his Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson and Lampard arrived in the area with perfect timing to glide a header beyond Namasco.2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport:
3 more examples
Piecing together Corbynomics is difficult, not least because it has evolved during Mr Corbyn’s time in charge of Labour. The gulf between the Labour leadership’s past positions and the milder proposals in the manifesto means that enormous uncertainty hangs over what a Corbyn-led government would do in office.2018 May 17, “Corbynomics would change Britain—but not in the way most people think”, in The Economist:
Rich countries must sign a “historic pact” with the poor on the climate, or “we will be doomed”, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has warned, as a deepening gulf between the developed and developing world has put climate talks on the brink.2022 November 4, Fiona Harvey, “UN chief warns ‘we will be doomed’ without historic climate pact”, in The Guardian:
The result is a widening gulf between people’s reality and what they are relentlessly told they actually believe in and care about.2023 August 7, Nesrine Malik, “British people are kinder and less divided than politicians give us credit for”, in The Guardian:
8
The bottom part of a list of those awarded a degree, for those who have only just passed.
Some ten or fifteen men just on the line, not enough to be plucked or good enough to be placed, are put into the "gulf," as it is popularly called (the Examiners' phrase is "Degrees allowed"), and have their degrees given to them but are not printed in the calendar, nor were they at this time allowed to try for the Classical Tripos.1852, Charles Astor Bristed, Five Years in an English University, page 205:
31 termsArabian Gulf, Corinthian Gulf, Coronation Gulf, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of America, Gulf of Amerika, Gulf of Antalya, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Basra, Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of California, Gulf of Carpentaria, Gulf of Corinth, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Gaeta, Gulf of Gdańsk, Gulf of Lepanto, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Papua, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Gulf of Salonica, Gulf of Siam, Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Thailand, Huon Gulf, Persian Gulf, Spencer Gulf, Thermaean Gulf, Thermaic Gulf, Van Diemen Gulf
gulf
verb
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”).
1
To engulf.
[…] if with thee the roaring wells Should gulf him fathom-deep in brine; And hands so often clasp’d in mine, Should toss with tangle and with shells.1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto X”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
2
To award a degree to somebody who has only just passed sufficiently.
The mention of gulfed and plucked men brings me back to myself.1852, Charles Astor Bristed, Five Years in an English University, pages 228–229:
The good Professor scolded, predicted that they would all be either gulfed or ploughed.1863, Henry Kingsley, Austin Elliot, page 123:
1 more example
Everyone who knows the Senate House may anticipate the result. When the Tripos of 1822 made its appearance his name did not grace the list. In short, to use the expressive vocabulary of the university, Macaulay was gulfed:—a mishap which disabled him from contending for the Chancellor's medals, then the crowning trophies of a classical career.1876, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, The life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, volume 1, page 83: