Word
Definition
n. a deep, narrow valley with steep rocky sides, often with a river running through it.
n. a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through the bottom.
Examples
“The hikers walked along the edge of the deep gorge.”
“A narrow bridge spans the gorge, connecting the two mountain villages that were once isolated by the steep cliffs.”
“Over millions of years, the relentless flow of the river carved a spectacular gorge through the limestone plateau, revealing layers of ancient geological history.”
Examples
simple
“The hikers walked along the edge of the deep gorge.”
contextual
“A narrow bridge spans the gorge, connecting the two mountain villages that were once isolated by the steep cliffs.”
complex
“Over millions of years, the relentless flow of the river carved a spectacular gorge through the limestone plateau, revealing layers of ancient geological history.”
Usage
Often used with 'deep', 'narrow', or 'steep' to describe the physical landscape.
Real-World Examples
“For decades, the seabirds have pecked at whales surfacing to breathe, gorging on their skin and blubber.” “The gorge was so precipitous that Hynes couldn’t see the bottom, but he had a DJI Mavic 3 drone.” “He followed the river through eastern Angola, across the borders of Namibia and Botswana, until he reached the gorges at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, after Victoria Falls.” Etymology
From Middle English gorge (“esophagus, gullet; throat; bird's crop; food in a hawk's crop; food or drink that has been eaten”), a borrowing from Old French gorge (“throat”) (modern French gorge (“throat; breast”)), from Vulgar Latin gorga, gurga, from Latin gurges (“eddy, whirlpool; gulf; sea”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- (“to devour, swallow; to eat”). The English word is cognate with Galician gorxa (“throat”), Italian gorga, gorgia (“gorge, ravine; (obsolete) throat”), Occitan gorga, gorja, Portuguese gorja (“gullet, throat; gorge”), Spanish gorja (“gullet, throat; gorge”). Doublet of gour and gurges.
The verb is derived from Middle English gorgen (“to eat greedily; to gorge”), a borrowing from Old French gorger, gorgier (modern French gorger (“to eat greedily; to gorge”)), from gorge (“throat”); see further at etymology 1. The noun is derived from the verb.
Clipping of gorge(ous); originally British slang.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/gorge
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0