a clumsy, stupid fellow; simpleton
Origin of gawk
probably variant, variety of gowk to stare stupidly, like a gawk
verb
The definition of gawk is to gape or stare at something, often openly and in a way that makes you look silly.
When you sit with your mouth open staring at a spectacle and looking silly, this is an example of a time when you gawk at the spectacle.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"gawk." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK>.
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gawk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK
gawk
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"gawk." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK>.
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gawk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK
gawk
intransitive verb
gawked, gawk·ing, gawksTo stare or gape stupidly. See Synonyms at gaze.
noun
An awkward or clumsy person.
Origin of gawk
Perhaps alteration ( influenced by gawk awkward person ) of obsolete gaw to gape from Middle English gawen from Old Norse gā to heed N., probably from English dialectal gawk left ( as in gawk hand left hand )Related Forms:
- gawk′er
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"gawk." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK>.
APA Style
gawk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK
Origin
From a variant of gowk, from Middle English gowke, from Old Norse gaukr (“cuckoo”), from Proto-Germanic *gaukaz (“cuckoo”). Cognate with Danish gøg, Swedish gök, German Gauch, Old English ġēac. More at yeke.
Origin
A Middle-Appalachian Americanism, since late 1800s, possibly misconstruing French "gauche," and leading to use of adj gawky for a person or process that is uncoordinated or awkward.
Verb
(third-person singular simple present gawks, present participle gawking, simple past and past participle gawked)
- To stare or gape stupidly
- To stare conspicuously.
Origin
Perhaps from Old Norse gá (“to heed”) .
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"gawk." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK>.
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gawk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK
gawk - Computer Definition
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2017 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"gawk." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK>.
APA Style
gawk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/GAWK
