Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having gaping liplike parts, as the corolla of some flowers or the shells of certain bivalves.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In botany, gaping: noting a bilabiate corolla with the lips widely spread and the throat open, as in the dead-nettle, Lamium.
  • In zoology, gaping irregularly, as parts of some zoöphytes and the valves of some shells.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Bot.) Having the lips widely separated and gaping like an open mouth.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having the semblance of lips parted wide, such as may be observed in certain flowers.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin ringēns, ringent-, present participle of ringī, to open the mouth wide.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin ringens, from the verb ringi, to open wide.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Gaping. (from Phrontistery)

    May 23, 2008

  • (adj): in botany or zoology, gaping widely, like an open mouth.

    January 15, 2009