gulf
part of speech
noun (a gulf, gulfs)
meaning for a pupil
1) A large area of sea that is partly surrounded by land, bigger than a bay (the Gulf of Mexico). tree →
2) A big difference or gap between people, groups or ideas (a gulf between rich and poor). tree →
3) A deep hole or opening in the ground (old or literary). tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Here it means a deep pit or opening, a yawning hole that swallows people. Interpretation: The psalm pictures the wicked speaker's mouth as a grave, so deadly lies are compared to death. In the primary lessons: In geography, gulfs are coastal features on maps: Gulf of Mexico, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Carpentaria (Australia), Gulf of St Lawrence (Canada). Warm currents like the Gulf Stream affect weather. In stories and talks a «gulf» is a gap between people who don't understand each other. Phrases: the Gulf, Gulf Stream, a wide gulf between.
examples
- For there is no sincerity in their mouth; their inward part is a yawning gulf, their throat is an open sepulchre; they make smooth their tongue. (Writings PSA.5.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- The Gulf of Mexico is south of the USA. tree →
- A gulf is like a very big bay. tree →
- The Gulf of Carpentaria is in the north of Australia. tree →
- The Gulf Stream carries warm water across the Atlantic. tree →
- There was a huge gulf between what he said and what he did. tree →
- Hurricanes often form over the warm Gulf waters. tree →
- The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another gulf across the road. tree →
note
«Gulf» vs «bay»: both are sea partly surrounded by land; a gulf is usually larger and deeper into the land. Don't confuse with «golf» (the sport) — they sound similar.
In the corpora
- The Mississippi River flows south into the Gulf of Mexico.
- Florida is a warm peninsula in the south-east, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «gulf» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.