gasp Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
    pant.
    • she gave a gasp and fainted
  2. verb breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
    puff; heave; pant.
    • The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily

WordNet

Gasp intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. gaspen, gaispen, to yawn, gasp, Icel. geispa to yawn; akin to Sw. gäspa, Dan. gispe to gasp.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Gasped ; present participle & verbal noun Gasping
Definitions
  1. To open the mouth wide in catching the breath, or in laborious respiration; to labor for breath; to respire convulsively; to pant violently.
    She gasps and struggles hard for life. Lloyd.
  2. To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.
    Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain. Spenser.
Gasp transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To emit or utter with gasps; -- with forth, out, away, etc.
    And with short sobs he gasps away his breath. Dryden.
Gasp noun
Definitions
  1. The act of opening the mouth convulsively to catch the breath; a labored respiration; a painful catching of the breath. Addison.

Webster 1913