golfe

gulf, bay

noun GOLF Rare

Origin: Italian golfo (bay)

Also means

golf (sport)

Usage Note

Golfe refers to a large body of water partly enclosed by land (geographical gulf or bay), while golf (same spelling in French, same pronunciation) is the sport. Context always makes the meaning clear. A famous example is le golfe du Mexique (the Gulf of Mexico). The two words are homophones, so learners should rely on context.

Examples

"Le bateau a traversé le golfe en deux jours."

Natural Translation

The boat crossed the gulf in two days.

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