gully
B2Geographical/technical in core sense; sporting in cricket; informal in some urban contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A small, narrow valley or channel formed by water erosion, typically dry except after heavy rain.
A fielding position in cricket between point and slips; can refer to a street or urban alley in some dialects; in golf, a sand trap.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Core sense is geographical/geomorphological; in cricket it's a specialized term; urban sense is dialectal (e.g., Australian/UK informal).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English more commonly uses 'gully' in cricket terminology; American English more likely in geographical contexts; urban 'alley' sense rare in US.
Connotations
In UK, can informally mean a street/alley (esp. in Scotland/Northern England); in US, primarily geographical.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK due to cricket usage; in US, mostly in geographical/wilderness contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The rain carved a gully [in/through the hillside]They climbed up the steep gullyThe ball went straight to gully (cricket)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “gully cricket (informal: street cricket)”
- “gully washer (US informal: heavy rainstorm)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in construction/land development contexts.
Academic
Common in geography, geology, environmental studies.
Everyday
Used in descriptions of landscape, hiking, weather (US 'gully washer').
Technical
Geomorphology term for small erosion feature; cricket fielding position.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The stream began to gully the soft soil after days of rain.
- Heavy runoff can gully a field quickly.
American English
- The flash flood gullied the driveway overnight.
- Erosion gullied the hillside.
adverb
British English
- The water ran gully-deep after the storm.
- It carved gully-like into the clay.
American English
- The land was cut gully-deep in places.
- It flowed gully-fast down the slope.
adjective
British English
- The gully erosion was severe.
- They followed a gully path up the mountain.
American English
- Gully formation is a sign of poor land management.
- The gully area was fenced off.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We walked along a small gully.
- The gully was dry in summer.
- After the heavy rain, a deep gully appeared in the garden.
- The cricketer stood at gully.
- The hikers descended into a steep, rocky gully to find shade.
- Erosion control measures were installed to prevent further gully formation.
- Geomorphologists study gully development as an indicator of climatic shifts and land degradation.
- His precision catch at gully turned the match.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'gully' like a 'gulp' of earth taken by water – a gully is where water gulps down soil.
Conceptual Metaphor
A gully is a scar on the landscape; a natural drainage line; a crack in the earth's surface.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как 'ущелье' (щель) – gully меньше и уже.
- Не путать с 'канава' (ditch) – gully естественного происхождения.
- В крикете – это позиция, а не игрок.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'guilty' or 'gulley' (variant exists but less standard)
- Using for large canyons (gullies are smaller)
- Confusing with 'gullet' (throat).
Practice
Quiz
In cricket, 'gully' refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A gully is generally smaller, narrower, and shallower than a ravine. Gullies are often formed by short-term water flow, while ravines are larger, deeper, and more permanent.
Yes, it can be used as a verb meaning 'to form gullies in' or 'to erode into channels', e.g., 'The torrential rain gullied the hillside.'
'Gulley' is a recognized variant spelling, particularly in British English, but 'gully' is the more common and standard form in most dictionaries.
In Australian (and some UK) informal usage, 'gully' can refer to a street or alleyway, often in an urban context.