Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To draw in the breath sharply, as from shock.
- intransitive verb To breathe convulsively or laboriously.
- intransitive verb To utter in a breathless manner.
- noun A short convulsive intake or catching of the breath.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The act of catching the breath with open mouth; labored respiration; a short, convulsive catching of the breath.
- To labor for breath with open mouth; respire convulsively; pant with great effort.
- To desire with eagerness; crave vehemently.
- To emit or utter gaspingly: with away, forth, out, etc.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To open the mouth wide in catching the breath, or in laborious respiration; to labor for breath; to respire convulsively; to pant violently.
- intransitive verb To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.
- transitive verb To emit or utter with gasps; -- with
forth ,out ,away , etc. - noun The act of opening the mouth convulsively to catch the breath; a labored respiration; a painful catching of the breath.
- noun at the point of death.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A short, sudden
intake of breath. - noun UK (
slang ): A draw or drag on a cigarette (orgasper ). - verb intransitive : To
draw in thebreath suddenly , as if from ashock . - verb intransitive : To
breathe laboriously orconvulsively . - verb transitive : To
speak in abreathless manner
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
- verb breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I kept gasping in horror but a horrified gasp is really just an emphatic hmm.
Erica Kennedy: Are Marie Claire and CBS Wagging the Dog? Erica Kennedy 2010
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I kept gasping in horror but a horrified gasp is really just an emphatic hmm.
Erica Kennedy: Are Marie Claire and CBS Wagging the Dog? Erica Kennedy 2010
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The only reply the three gave was to lower their hoods, bringing a gasp from the fat inn-keep.
Conan Fan Fiction! Cromsblood 2009
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I kept gasping in horror but a horrified gasp is really just an emphatic hmm.
Erica Kennedy: Are Marie Claire and CBS Wagging the Dog? Erica Kennedy 2010
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I kept gasping in horror but a horrified gasp is really just an emphatic hmm.
Erica Kennedy: Are Marie Claire and CBS Wagging the Dog? Erica Kennedy 2010
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The only reply the three gave was to lower their hoods, bringing a gasp from the fat inn-keep.
Archive 2009-12-01 Reis O'Brien 2009
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The sudden plunge into darkness and the sad gasp from the air conditioning unit was a reminder of the regular power cuts that plague the country.
James Denselow: Tehran in Beirut James Denselow 2010
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I hear a gasp from the hundreds gathered below as a rushing fills my head, a crescendo like music, a roar like waves – and I am ecstatic, and filled with wonder, joy and gratitude.
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » Thablue’s Review Forum 2009
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The collective gasp is so loud the ducks take flight, filling the air with their honking.
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I kept gasping in horror but a horrified gasp is really just an emphatic hmm.
Erica Kennedy: Are Marie Claire and CBS Wagging the Dog? Erica Kennedy 2010
PossibleUnderscore commented on the word gasp
"Fight till the last gasp."
-Henry VI Part 2, Shakespeare
(I think it's part 2??)
July 26, 2009
Louises commented on the word gasp
Pressed the hand to the panel and received, like magic, the string of blips, the gasp, the open door. From "The Last Werewolf" by Glen Duncan.
April 1, 2012