gape

Meanings

Plural: gapes

Noun

an expression of openmouthed astonishment
a stare of amazement (usually with the mouth open)
An act of gaping; a yawn.
A large opening.
A disease in poultry caused by gapeworm in the windpipe, a symptom of which is frequent gaping.
The width of an opening.
The maximum opening of the mouth (of a bird, fish, etc.) when it is open.

Verb

look with amazement; look stupidly
be wide open
To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.
To stare in wonder.
To open wide; to display a gap.
To open the passage to the vomeronasal organ, analogous to the flehming in other animals.
To depict a dilated anal or vaginal cavity upon penetrative sexual activity.

Origin / 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).

Synonyms

gawk, gawp, goggle, yaw, yawn

Scrabble Score: 7

gape is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
gape is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gape is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

gape is a valid Words With Friends word