gape
UK[ɡeɪp]US[ɡeɪp]
v
To stare with one's mouth open wide, especially in amazement or wonder.
v
To be or become wide open.
Etymology
The word 'gape' entered English from Old Norse 'gapa' during the period of Viking settlement and influence. It is cognate with related Germanic words like the Danish 'gabe' and the Swedish 'gapa', all sharing the core sense of opening wide. This term is ultimately imitative in origin, likely echoing the sound or the physical act of opening the mouth deeply. Over time, its meaning extended metaphorically from the literal act of opening one's mouth in surprise or stupor to describe anything that is wide open, such as a gaping hole or a chasm.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Old Norse origin. The modern English form 'gape' is a direct descendant of the Old Norse verb 'gapa', meaning "to open the mouth wide, to yawn."
Examples
The tourists would gape at the towering skyscrapers.
A deep chasm gaped before them in the mountainside.
The child stood with his mouth agape during the entire magic show.