gullying

8.1

Soil that running water washes away and that forms small channels

noun
/ˈɡəlɪŋ/

Specialized

: erosión

The heavy rain caused significant gullying along the hillside, creating small channels in the soil.
erosion and gullying

Examples

And gullying hurts, right?

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
In 1790, for example, the Saint Vincent Assembly discussed problems of soil erosion and gullying on estates.

Academic text (1997)
Although the soils are of moderate drainage, they are highly subject to gullying where surface water is concentrated (Allen-Diaz, Phillips, and Fernández-Giménez 1992).

Academic text (2000)
The steep, unpaved roads that linked them to the city were muddy in spring and fall and prone to gullying during heavy rains (DS 1873, 15 July, 4; 18 July, 4; EH 1882, 7 April, 1).

Academic text (2012)
Farmers are concerned about gullying on their land, as it leads to serious soil erosion and loss of fertility.
To prevent gullying, they installed barriers to redirect the water flow during storms.

How Severe

gorge

32 5.3

soil erosion

Specialized

3 3.8

gullying

Specialized

8.1

rill

3 8.6

Surface Forms

gullying singular

gullying plural

Morphology

gullying = gully (transparent) = gully + ing

Standard gerund/nominalization from the verb 'gully', so the meaning as the process of forming gullies is directly derived.

Etymology

Gullying comes from the word gully, a small channel in the ground, and is related to gullet which means 'throat'. Imagine rainwater cutting a little 'throat' through the soil — that's why gullying means water making small channels and eroding the land.