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What is "gape"

Crossword clues for gape

gape
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
gape
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a gaping loophole (=a very large loophole)
▪ There is a gaping loophole in the ban on arms sales to poor countries.
a gaping wound (=one that is wide and open)
▪ Blood spurted from his gaping wounds.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ A small boy pressed his face against the window and gaped in awe.
▪ I could only gape in astonishment as I saw the man take the bottle from the shelf and put it under his coat.
▪ People stopped to gape as she walked down the street in a see-through mini-dress.
▪ She stood there gaping at me, too shocked to speak.
▪ The wound on his neck gaped open 2 inches.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ But suddenly he was at the door, swaying slightly, his pyjama jacket gaping open.
▪ For a moment Rex and I gaped, and then Rex dived into the cabin to fetch his camera.
▪ I do not care much now about the way the women gape at me when I walk around in the village center.
▪ I don't know why we're standing here for all these fools to gape at.
▪ The mouth of the pouch gaped open.
▪ You may have to squeeze the edges of the wound together if the sides are gaping.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Gape

Gape \Gape\ (g[aum]p; in Eng, commonly g[=a]p; 277), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Gaped (g[aum]pt or g[=a]pt); p. pr. & vb. n. Gaping] [OE. gapen, AS. geapan to open; akin to D. gapen to gape, G. gaffen, Icel. & Sw. gapa, Dan. gabe; cf. Skr. jabh to snap at, open the mouth. Cf. Gaby, Gap.]

  1. To open the mouth wide; as:

    1. Expressing a desire for food; as, young birds gape.
      --Dryden.

    2. Indicating sleepiness or indifference; to yawn.

      She stretches, gapes, unglues her eyes, And asks if it be time to rise.
      --Swift.

    3. Showing unselfconsciousness in surprise, astonishment, expectation, etc.

      With gaping wonderment had stared aghast.
      --Byron.

    4. Manifesting a desire to injure, devour, or overcome.

      They have gaped upon me with their mouth.
      --Job xvi. 10.

  2. To open or part widely; to exhibit a gap, fissure, or hiatus.

    May that ground gape and swallow me alive!
    --Shak.

  3. To long, wait eagerly, or cry aloud for something; -- with for, after, or at.

    The hungry grave for her due tribute gapes.
    --Denham.

    Syn: To gaze; stare; yawn. See Gaze.

Gape

Gape \Gape\, n.

  1. The act of gaping; a yawn.
    --Addison.

  2. (Zo["o]l.) The width of the mouth when opened, as of birds, fishes, etc. The gapes.

    1. A fit of yawning.

    2. A disease of young poultry and other birds, attended with much gaping. It is caused by a parasitic nematode worm ( Syngamus trachealis), in the windpipe, which obstructs the breathing. See Gapeworm.

Related phrases:
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
gape

early 13c., from an unrecorded Old English word or else from Old Norse gapa "to open the mouth wide, gape" (see gape (n.)). Related: Gaped; gaping. As a noun, "act of opening the mouth," from 1530s.

Wiktionary
gape

n. 1 (context uncommon English) An act of gaping; a yawn. 2 A large opening. 3 (context uncountable English) A disease in poultry caused by gapeworm in the windpipe, a symptom of which is frequent gaping. 4 The width of an opening. 5 (context zoology English) The maximum opening of the mouth (of a bird, fish, etc.) when it is open. vb. (context intransitive English) To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.

Related phrases:
WordNet
gape

  1. n. an expression of open-mouthed astonishment

  2. a stare of amazement (usually with the mouth open)

  3. v. look with amazement; look stupidly [syn: goggle, gawp, gawk]

  4. be wide open; "the deep gaping canyon" [syn: yawn, yaw]

Usage examples of "gape".

My mind wanders through adagios and andantes, gaping, longing to understand.

Besides, if he ever deigned to give a thought to me, Versilov was most likely expecting a young boy just out of high school, still a mere adolescent, gaping at the world in wide-eyed wonderment.

Where his collar gaped open, Amy could see the strong lines of his throat.

At least I thought it was an elephant until I realized that it was the Ancestress, and I gaped at an incredible sight.

Brett wasted no time to strip off his travel stained shirt, leaving Angelique to gape in stunned amazement.

Proceeding to the library, dust cloth in hand, she saw Andy-or ather, the lower half of him-in the gaping cavity of the fireplace.

Dogs, some following such as flyed, some invading such as stood still, some tearing those which lay prostrate, but generally there were none which escaped cleare: Behold upon this another danger ensued, the Inhabitants of the Towne stood in their garrets and windowes, throwing great stones upon our heads, that wee could not tell whether it were best for us to avoyd the gaping mouthes of the Dogges at hand or the perill of the stones afarre, amongst whome there was one that hurled a great flint upon a woman, which sate upon my backe, who cryed out pitiously, desiring her husband to helpe her.

Like an itinerant historian first beholding the rings of Qallar, he gaped in astonishment at the colours of a fayway space, at the sparkling lights and the lovely, fractalling complexity.

Little Henri Beyle breathed in the acrid fumes and gaped at the sarcophagus.

I managed a hello as well, though I was gaping impolitely at Bitten Johansson.

Hampstead, what the disaffection of a clergy would amount to, gaping after this graduated bounty of the Crown, and whether Ignatius Loyala himself, if he were a living blockhead instead of a dead saint, could withstand the temptation of bouncing from 100 pounds a year at Sligo, to 300 pounds in Tipperary?

Dunlop with what pangs of heart he was compelled to take shelter in a corner, lest the rattling equipage of some gaping blockhead should mangle him in the mire.

Most stickies simply had a gaping buccal orifice, fringed with ragged porcine hairs, that dribbled wetly.

The caiman stared at Nate between the roots, mouth gaping open, teeth glinting with menace.

I was gaping in the air and listlessly looking round, when a gentleman, splendidly dressed, and three times stouter than I, came up and enquired whether I was a foreigner.