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gasp

verb
/ɡɑːsp/UK/ɡasp//ɡæsp/US

Etymology

From Middle English gaspen, gayspen (“to gape, outbreathe”), related to and likely derived from Old Norse geispa (“to yawn”) or its descendant Danish gispe, which may be related to gapa (“to gape”).

  1. derived from geispa — “to yawn”
  2. inherited from gaspen

Definitions

  1. To draw in the breath suddenly, as if from a shock.

    • The audience gasped as the magician disappeared.

  2. To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion

    To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion; to respire with heaving of the breast; to pant.

    • We were all gasping when we reached the summit.
    • c. 1761-1764, Robert Lloyd, An Epistle to C. Churchill, Author of the Rosicad She gasps and struggles hard for life.

  3. To speak in a breathless manner.

    • The old man gasped his last few words.
  4. ›+ 5 more definitions

    1. To pant with eagerness or excitement

      To pant with eagerness or excitement; to show vehement desire.

      • I'm gasping for a cup of tea.
      • Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.

    2. A short, sudden intake of breath.

      • The audience gave a gasp of astonishment

    3. A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper).

      • I'm popping out for a gasp.

    4. The sound of a gasp.

      • Gasp! What will happen next?

    5. Acronym of globalist, academic, secular and progressive.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for gasp. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA