gape
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
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a wide opening; gap; breach.
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an act or instance of gaping.
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a stare, as in astonishment or with the mouth wide open.
-
a yawn.
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Zoology. the width of the open mouth.
verb
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to stare in wonder or amazement, esp with the mouth open
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to open the mouth wide, esp involuntarily, as in yawning or hunger
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to be or become wide open
the crater gaped under his feet
noun
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the act of gaping
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a wide opening; breach
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the width of the widely opened mouth of a vertebrate
-
a stare or expression of astonishment
Related Words
See gaze.
Other Word Forms
- gapingly adverb
- subgape verb (used without object)
- ungaping adjective
Etymology
Origin of gape
1175–1225; Middle English, from Old Norse gapa “to open the mouth wide”; compare German gaffen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A major incident has been declared over what police have called a sinkhole at a canal in Shropshire, leaving boats either stricken in a gaping cavity or teetering on the edge of a drop.
From BBC
The twisted steel and gaping hole in the road bridge which crosses the Me Teuk river in Pursat province offer vivid evidence of that tough approach.
From BBC
Adam Wharton hit the bar for Palace with the goal gaping as Penders was again caught badly out of position when Strasbourg lost the ball on the edge of their own box.
From Barron's
"That is a gaping hole in a law that should protect nature from the ravages of climate change," she said.
From Barron's
Still, it left a gaping hole in the venue, with footage on social media showing delegates escaping the flames, some ripping off shirts to cover their mouths and noses.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
