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Sully vs Gully - What's the difference?

sully | gully |

In lang=en terms the difference between sully and gully

is that sully is to become soiled or tarnished while gully is to wear away into a gully or gullies.

As verbs the difference between sully and gully

is that sully is to soil or stain; to dirty while gully is (obsolete) to flow noisily.

As a noun gully is

a trench, ravine or narrow channel which was worn by water flow, especially on a hillside or gully can be (scotland|northern uk) a large knife.

sully

English

Alternative forms

* (l)

Verb

  • to soil or stain; to dirty
  • He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.
  • * Roscommon
  • statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke
  • to damage or corrupt
  • He did not wish to sully his reputation with an ill-mannered comment.
  • * Atterbury
  • no spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity
  • To become soiled or tarnished.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Silvering will sully and canker more than gilding.

    gully

    English

    Alternative forms

    * gulley (Etymology 1)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) golet, from (etyl) goulet, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (wikipedia gully) (gullies)
  • A trench, ravine or narrow channel which was worn by water flow, especially on a hillside.
  • A small valley.
  • (UK) A drop kerb.
  • A road drain.
  • (cricket) A fielding position on the off side about 30 degrees behind square, between the slips and point; a fielder in such a position
  • (UK) A grooved iron rail or tram plate.
  • Verb

  • (obsolete) To flow noisily.
  • (Johnson)
  • To wear away into a gully or gullies.
  • Etymology 2

    Scots , of unknown origin.

    Noun

    (gullies)
  • (Scotland, northern UK) A large knife.
  • * 1883 , , page 139:
  • With that I made my mind up, took out my gully , opened it with my teeth, and cut one strand after another...
    References
    Gullies And Other Knives ----