gunny

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈɡʌni/ UK /ˈɡʌni/ See IPA manual

Freq #19539

Meanings

1

noun
a coarse, strong fabric made from jute or hemp, especially for sacks

The merchant packed the coffee beans in rough gunny bags for shipment.
2

noun
US military slang: a gunnery sergeant

The gunny inspected the platoon before the morning drill.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a coarse, strong fabric... burlaphessiansacking

2 noun · us military slang: a... gunnery sergeant

Word family

Derived forms gunnybaggunnycloth

Related forms jutehempgunny sack

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

gunny sack
a coarse bag made from burlap or similar woven material

Noun + noun

Etymology

The fabric name comes through Hindi and Marathi from a South Asian word for a coarse sack, ultimately of Dravidian origin. The unrelated US Marine Corps slang sense clips gunnery sergeant.

Topics

Materials & Substances Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

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