1. be or become wide open: "a large duffel bag gaped open by her feet"Similaropen wideopen upyawnpartcracksplit
▪ stare with one's mouth open wide in amazement or wonder:"they gaped at her as if she were an alien"Similarstarestare open-mouthedstare in wondergawkgogglegazeoglelook fixedlylook vacantlyinformal:rubberneckgawp
noun
1. a wide opening: "a gape of the jaws"
▪ an open-mouthed stare: "she climbed into her sports car to the gapes of passersby"
▪ a widely open mouth or beak: "juvenile birds with yellow gapes"
▪ a disease of birds with gaping of the mouth as a symptom, caused by infestation with gapeworm.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse gapa; related to gap.
