gaper
- noun
- /ˈɡeɪpər/
- I was scanning the gaper's article to double-check it, hit upon the fourth paragraph, and accidentally switched it.
Examples
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Maybe when you finally lean in for a kiss you'd tear a big gaper through spacetime and really mess things up.
Blog text (10) -
The children stood as gapers, mouths open in awe, watching the magician perform his tricks.
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I can't believe I know what a gaper is.
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Anyone who supports this ski link is a complete gaper at skiing and life.
Blog text (8) -
After reading the Gaper's Block.
Blog text (21) -
You're in the middle of a gaper's block.
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It's called gaper, yes?
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As the fireworks lit up the sky, the crowd became a sea of gapers, all staring with their mouths agape.
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During the parade, many gapers lined the streets, surprised by the colorful floats passing by.
Synonyms
A person who stares openly and rudely at something unusual
A person who looks at something for a long time with interest or wonder
A person who looks at someone for a long time in an unfriendly way
How Amazed
Surface Forms
Morphology
gaper = gap (transparent) = gap + er
The word 'gaper' is transparently derived from the verb 'gap' with the addition of the agentive suffix '-er'.
Etymology
Gaper comes from the simple verb gape, which means 'to open the mouth' and is like gap, meaning an 'open space'. So a gaper is someone who stares with their mouth open, which is why we use it for people who stop and stare.