gape
- to stare with open mouth, as in wonder.
- to open the mouth wide involuntarily, as the result of hunger, sleepiness, or absorbed attention.
- to open as a gap; split or become open wide.
- a wide opening; gap; breach.
- an act or instance of gaping.
- a stare, as in astonishment or with the mouth wide open.
- a yawn.
- Zoology. the width of the open mouth.
Origin of gape
Synonyms for gape
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for gape
stare, glare, gloat, rubberneck, eye, look, goggle, focus, yawp, beam, ogle, peer, bore, wonder, eyeball, cleave, divide, yaw, gap, yawnExamples from the Web for gape
Contemporary Examples of gape
We want to relate to their humanity rather than gape at their untouchable infallibility.
Gape at the chart that shows the chilling growth in derivatives, just one flavor of “structured product.”
Historical Examples of gape
But I could not speak; I could only gape, choking and giddy.
The Bacillus of BeautyHarriet Stark
The gape of his enormous jaws was nearly as wide as the gateway of the king's palace.
Tanglewood TalesNathaniel Hawthorne
The Duke sank back in his chair to gape at his impetuous cousin.
Love-at-ArmsRaphael Sabatini
At that instant the whole of the heavens seemed to split and gape open.
The Golden WomanRidgwell Cullum
They gape round him while he twangs and screeches, the wind-bag!
RomanceJoseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
gape
- to stare in wonder or amazement, esp with the mouth open
- to open the mouth wide, esp involuntarily, as in yawning or hunger
- to be or become wide openthe crater gaped under his feet
- the act of gaping
- a wide opening; breach
- the width of the widely opened mouth of a vertebrate
- a stare or expression of astonishment
Word Origin for gape
Word Origin and History for gape
early 13c., from an unrecorded Old English word or else from Old Norse gapa "to open the mouth, gape," common West Germanic (cf. Middle Dutch, Dutch gapen, German gaffen "to gape, stare," Swedish gapa, Danish gabe), from PIE *ghai- (see gap). Related: Gaped; gaping. As a noun, from 1530s.