noun · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈɡeɪp/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪp
CMU ARPABET:G EY1 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An act of gaping; a yawn.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncommon, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A large opening.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A disease in poultry caused by gapeworm in the windpipe, a symptom of which is frequent gaping.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The width of an opening.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The maximum opening of the mouth (of a bird, fish, etc.) when it is open.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
1723, Jonathan Swift, The Journal of a Modern Lady, 1810, Samuel Johnson, The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper, Volume 11, page 467, She stretches, gapes, unglues her eyes, / And asks if it be time to rise;
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To stare in wonder.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To open wide; to display a gap.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
The wound was gaping open and losing too much blood.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To open the passage to the vomeronasal organ, analogous to the flehming in other animals.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To depict a dilated anal or vaginal cavity upon penetrative sexual activity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: lifestyle, media, pornography, sexuality
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
a stare of amazement (usually with the mouth open)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: stare
12
noun
Meaning 12
an expression of openmouthed astonishment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: facial expression, facial gesture
Narrower terms: rictus
13
verb
Meaning 13
look with amazement; look stupidly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: goggle, gawp, gawk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: look
14
verb
Meaning 14
be wide open
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the deep gaping canyon
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: yawn, yaw
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
History
Etymology
From Middle English gapen, from Old Norse gapa (“to gape”) (compare Swedish gapa, Danish gabe), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną (descendants Middle English geapen, Dutch gapen, German gaffen), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵhеh2b-. Cognates include Russian зяпа (zjapa). Doublet of gap.
Across languages
Translations
61 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
прозявка
(prozjavka)
— a yawn
Finnish:
haukotus
— a yawn
Russian:
зево́к
(zevók)
— a yawn
Bulgarian:
зея
(zeja)
— to open the mouth wide
Bulgarian:
прозявам се
(prozjavam se)
— to open the mouth wide
Chinese Mandarin:
張嘴 /张嘴
(zhāngzuǐ)
— to open the mouth wide
Czech:
zívat
— to open the mouth wide
Danish:
gabe
— to open the mouth wide
Dutch:
gapen
— to open the mouth wide
Esperanto:
faŭki
— to open the mouth wide
Finnish:
avata ammolleen
— to open the mouth wide
French:
bayer
— to open the mouth wide
French:
béer
— to open the mouth wide
Georgian:
პირის დაღება
(ṗiris daɣeba)
— to open the mouth wide
Georgian:
პირის დაფჩენა
(ṗiris dapčena)
— to open the mouth wide
German:
gähnen
— to open the mouth wide
Hungarian:
tát
— to open the mouth wide
Hungarian:
kitát
— to open the mouth wide
Hungarian:
tátog
— to open the mouth wide
Italian:
spalancare
— to open the mouth wide
Lithuanian:
žiopsoti
— to open the mouth wide
Malay:
nganga
— to open the mouth wide
Māori:
piere
— to open the mouth wide
Norwegian Nynorsk:
gapa
— to open the mouth wide
Polish:
rozdziawiać
— to open the mouth wide
Russian:
разева́ть рот
(razevátʹ rot)
— to open the mouth wide
Russian:
рази́нуть рот
(razínutʹ rot)
— to open the mouth wide
Serbo-Croatian:
зја́пити
— to open the mouth wide
Serbo-Croatian:
zjápiti
— to open the mouth wide
Spanish:
boquear
— to open the mouth wide
Swahili:
achama
— to open the mouth wide
Swedish:
gapa
— to open the mouth wide
Tocharian B:
kāy-
— to open the mouth wide
Ottoman Turkish:
اسنمك
(esnemek)
— to open the mouth wide
Bulgarian:
зяпам
(zjapam)
— to stare in wonderment
Czech:
zírat
— to stare in wonderment
Czech:
koukat
— to stare in wonderment
Esperanto:
gapi
— to stare in wonderment
Finnish:
toljottaa
— to stare in wonderment
Georgian:
პირის დაღება
(ṗiris daɣeba)
— to stare in wonderment
Georgian:
მიშტერება
(mišṭereba)
— to stare in wonderment
Georgian:
პირის დაფჩენა
(ṗiris dapčena)
— to stare in wonderment
Georgian:
მიჩერება
(mičereba)
— to stare in wonderment
Māori:
putē
— to stare in wonderment
Māori:
titiro māhoi
— to stare in wonderment
Russian:
глазе́ть
(glazétʹ)
— to stare in wonderment
Russian:
тара́щиться
(taráščitʹsja)
— to stare in wonderment
Russian:
пя́литься
(pjálitʹsja)
— to stare in wonderment
Swedish:
gapa
— to stare in wonderment
Yiddish:
גאַפֿן
(gafn)
— to stare in wonderment
Bulgarian:
зея
(zeja)
— to open wide
Finnish:
ammottaa
— to open wide
French:
béer
— to open wide
Georgian:
მთქნარება
(mtknareba)
— to open wide
Georgian:
დამთქნარება
(damtknareba)
— to open wide