rhizoverbBeta
DictionarygulfSea inlet
noun

gulf

GUHLF/ɡʌlf/

A large inlet of the sea partly enclosed by land.

Land encloses the gulf on three sides.

An elevated coastal view showing a vast arm of the sea enclosed on three sides by land, with a broad, clearly visible opening into the open ocean.
Etymology
gulfGreekbosom; bay

Greek kolpos originally meant ‘bosom’ and also described a garment’s fold. The shared image is a curve or hollow, extended to the sea where land curves around an expanse of water.

In context

HISTORY3:21
This area was covered by a vast inland sea. It existed for over 30 million years and stretched from Utah to Missouri and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Sea.
How the Rocky Mountains were Made | How the Earth Was Made (S2, E5) | Full Episode | History

More examples

  • Fishing boats crossed the gulf before dawn.
  • Several rivers empty into the gulf.
  • The city stands on the shore of a sheltered gulf.

Forms

gulf · gulfs

Similar words

bay
A related coastal inlet; naming does not follow a fixed size rule.
inlet
The broader opening of water into land.