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# gape

«gape» in Mova's school dictionary: **To stare with your mouth wide open, because you are…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (gape, gapes, gaped, gaping); noun (a gape, gapes)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To stare with your mouth wide open, because you are surprised or amazed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#m1)

2) To be or become wide open: a hole gaped in the wall. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#m2)

3) (noun) A wide-open mouth or a wide opening; in birds, the width of the open beak. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, characters «gape» when they are shocked or astonished, and a «gaping hole» or «gaping wound» is a big, frightening opening. In science, the gape of a bird or snake is how wide it can open its mouth. Phrases: gape at, a gaping hole, gaping mouth, stand gaping.

### examples

- We gaped at the giant whale skeleton in the museum. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x1)
- The children gaped when the magician vanished. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x2)
- A huge hole gaped in the road after the flood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x3)
- Don't just stand there gaping, help me! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x4)
- The baby birds gaped, waiting for worms. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x5)
- A snake's gape lets it swallow an egg whole. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x6)
- There was a gaping hole in the fence where the cow got out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x7)
- The gape of his enormous jaws was nearly as wide as the gateway of the king's palace. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/#x8)

### note

Past: gaped (one p); -ing: gaping. Pronounced to rhyme with «tape». Do not confuse with «gasp» (a quick breath in) or «gap» (a space). «Gawp» (UK) is a similar informal word for staring rudely.

### In the corpora

- [Deep or gaping cuts heal better when the edges are held together by stitches, medical glue or paper strips.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/4-cuts-grazes-stitches-and-splinters/3/)
- [Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the snare gapeth for their substance.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.95/)
- [They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; they gather themselves together against me.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.414/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «gape» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gape/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.