gully

• gulley (Etymology 1)

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌli/

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• Rhymes: -ʌli

From Middle English golet, from Old French goulet, from Latin gula (“throat”).

gully (plural gullies)

1. A trench, ravine or narrow channel which was worn by water flow, especially on a hillside.
2. A small valley.
3. (Britain) A drop kerb.
4. A road drain.
5. (cricket) A fielding position on the off side about 30 degrees behind square, between the slips and point; a fielder in such a position
6. (Britain) A grooved iron rail or tram plate.

• gill (“cleft, ravine”)

• gullet
• gully gut
• gully hole

gully (third-person singular simple present gullies, present participle gullying, simple past and past participle gullied)

1. (obsolete) To flow noisily.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Johnson to this entry?)

2. (transitive) To wear away into a gully or gullies.

From Scots gully, of unknown origin.

gully (plural gullies)

1. (Scotland, northern UK) A large knife.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, page 139:

     With that I made my mind up, took out my gully, opened it with my teeth, and cut one strand after another...

Gullies And Other Knives

Origin unknown.

gully (plural gullies)

1. large knife

   • God than he lewch and owre the dyk lap, / And owt of his scheith his gully owtgatt. (The Bannatyne Manuscript)