Gunny

From Hindi and Marathi.

Full definition of gunny

Noun

1. (uncountable) A coarse heavy fabric made of jute or hemp.
• 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, p. 102:Provisions were ferried by camel in stout sacks of gunny with blocks of ice packed round them; a herculean task.
2. (countable) A gunny sack.

Derived terms

• gunnybag
• gunnycloth

A shortening of gunnery sergeant

Noun

1. (countable, informal) A gunnery sergeant.
• 2004, Buzz Williams, Spare parts: a marine reservist's journey from campus to combat in Vietnam, The gunny's voice reverberated between the barracks as we marched, “Ya left right . . . left right . . . left right left. ... Then the gunny unexpectedly stopped our forward movement. “Company, halt!”
• 2007, W. E. B. Griffin, The Hunters, “As a rule of thumb, Marine corporals, when a gunny asks a question, answer it,”
• 2010, Donovan Campbell, Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and ..., Alongside even' officer chain of command is an enlisted one, and the company gunnery sergeant ("gunny" for short) is the enlisted counterpart ... Without a gunny, the day-to-day operations of the infantry would likely grind to a halt.