gasp

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]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡɑːsp/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (Northern England, Scotland) IPA^(key): /ɡasp/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɡæsp/
• Rhymes: -æsp

gasp (third-person singular simple present gasps, present participle gasping, simple past and past participle gasped)

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

   The audience gasped as the magician disappeared.

2. (intransitive) 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. (transitive) To speak in a breathless manner.

   The old man gasped his last few words.

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

   I'm gasping for a cup of tea.

   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Aprill. Aegloga Quarta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:

     Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.

gasp (plural gasps)

1. A short, sudden intake of breath.

   The audience gave a gasp of astonishment

2. (British, slang): A draw or drag on a cigarette (or gasper).

   I'm popping out for a gasp.

gasp

1. (humorous) The sound of a gasp.

   Gasp! What will happen next?

• PGAs, SPAG, AGPs, gaps, spag, PAGs, A-GPS, PASG, GPAs

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish غصب (gasb), from Arabic غَصْب (ḡaṣb).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡasp/
• Hyphenation: gasp

gasp (definite accusative gasbı, plural gasplar)

1. usurpation, seizure by violence

• “gasp”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu