different between gulf vs estuary

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 ?????? (kólpos, “bosom, gulf”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: g?lf, IPA^(key): /??lf/
• Rhymes: -?lf
• Homophone: golf (some speakers)

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.
   • 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, IV. i. 23:

     Witch's mummy, maw and gulf / Of the ravined salt sea shark,

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. (figuratively) A wide interval or gap; a separating space.

   • Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.
7. (figuratively) 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.

Derived terms

Synonyms

• (difference): abyss

Translations

Verb

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

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

English

Alternative forms

• æstuary (archaic)

Etymology

From Latin aestuarium (“creek”, “estuary of a river”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??stj???i/, /??st????i/, /??st???i/

Noun

estuary (plural estuaries)

1. A coastal water body where ocean tides and river water merge, resulting in a brackish water zone.
2. An ocean inlet also fed by fresh river water.

Derived terms

• Estuary English

Translations

See also

• ecotone

Anagrams

• Autreys, Teruyas