noun an act of opening one's mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to surprise or wonder
verb to open one's mouth wide and inhale deeply due to surprise or wonder
In anatomy, 'gape' can refer to the opening of the mouth or a wide opening of a wound or incision.
In geology, 'gape' can refer to the separation or opening of rocks due to stress or tectonic movement.
In zoology, 'gape' can refer to the opening of a bird's beak or mouth in order to catch prey or regulate temperature.
In fishing, 'gape' can refer to the distance between the point and the shank of a fish hook, which affects hooking efficiency.
In literature, the term 'gape' may be used to describe a character's expression of shock or awe, such as 'Her mouth gaped open in astonishment.'
Psychologists may use the term 'gape' when discussing nonverbal communication and body language, such as 'The patient's wide-eyed gape indicated fear.'
Photographers may use 'gape' to describe a subject's expression or pose, such as 'The model's gape added a sense of wonder to the photo.'
Actors may be directed to 'gape' in a scene to convey a sense of surprise or disbelief, such as 'The actor gaped at the unexpected twist in the plot.'