GAPE

I. intransitive verb (~d; gaping) see: yawn Date: 13th century 1. to open the mouth wide, to open or part widely , to gaze stupidly or in openmouthed surprise or wonder, yawn , gapingly adverb II. noun Date: 1535 an act of gaping:, yawn , an openmouthed stare, an unfilled space or extent, 3. the median margin-to-margin length of the open mouth, the line along which the mandibles of a bird close, the width of an opening, 4. plural but singular in construction a disease of birds and especially young birds in which ~worms invade and irritate the trachea, a fit of yawning