gulf

1. (obsolete) That which swallows; the gullet.Examples: "Witch's mummy, maw and gulf / Of the ravined salt sea shark,"obsolete

2. (geography) A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially landlocked seaExamples: "the Gulf of Mexico"; "the Persian Gulf"

3. (mining) A large deposit of ore in a lode.

4. (figurative) A wide interval or gap; a separating space.Examples: "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed."; "`Behold now, let the Dead and Living meet! Across the gulf of Time they still are one.'"figuratively

5. (figurative) A difference, especially a large difference, between groups.Examples: "England were graphically illustrating the huge gulf in class between the sides and it was no surprise when Lampard added the second just before the half hour. Steven Gerrard found his Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson and Lampard arrived in the area with perfect timing to glide a header beyond Namasco."; "Piecing together Corbynomics is difficult, not least because it has evolved during Mr Corbyn’s time in charge of Labour. The gulf between the Labour leadership’s past positions and the milder proposals in the manifesto means that enormous uncertainty hangs over what a Corbyn-led government would do in office."; "Rich countries must sign a “historic pact” with the poor on the climate, or “we will be doomed”, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has warned, as a deepening gulf between the developed and developing world has put climate talks on the brink."Synonyms: abyss, riftfiguratively

6. (Oxbridge slang) The bottom part of a list of those awarded a degree, for those who have only just passed.Examples: "Some ten or fifteen men just on the line, not enough to be plucked or good enough to be placed, are put into the "gulf," as it is popularly called (the Examiners' phrase is "Degrees allowed"), and have their degrees given to them but are not printed in the calendar, nor were they at this time allowed to try for the Classical Tripos."