gaping
[geyp-ing]
What does gaping mean?
The verb gape is recorded as early as the 1200s, first referring to the act of opening the mouth and later expanding to refer to anything opening wide.
Which means gaping has, like so many other words, taken on sexual slang senses, where it refers to an enlarged, stretched, or relaxed anus or vagina.
There you have it.
Where does gaping come from?
As we mentioned above, gaping can refer to the act of opening wide …
By 1966, we see gaping asshole, a grotesque insult for a “dolt” or “idiot.” By at least 1999, however, gaping took on more positive connotations on the sexual front, with a gape slang for “fully relaxed anus.” Vaginas are sometimes described as gaping too. No inequality here. This may be desirable, as in the case of internet porn, or insulting, implying a woman is whorish.
Examples of gaping
you might slip and we'd all be sucked into your huge gaping vagina
If you have ever watched porn, you may have come across something called anal gaping. This is the act of having extended anal sex with the goal of opening up the anus wide for a period of time.
Who uses gaping?
Sex bloggers, kinky fetishists, porn enthusiasts, or other bedroom adventurers may speak of gaping anuses or vaginas. Anal gaping, in particular, is a practice among gay men.
https://twitter.com/flybyjerry/status/994703044024643585
Then, of course, there are the many non-sexual uses of the word, often referring to a mouth gaping open in shock or surprise. Holes, physical or conceptual, are also often described as gaping.
Welp, Interstellar was way too good for me to handle. My mouth was gaping open for the last 30 minutes.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) March 27, 2016
NOTE
This is not meant to be a formal definition of gaping like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of gaping that will help our users expand their word mastery.
