Definitions

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

  • intransitive verb To look steadily, intently, and with fixed attention.
  • noun A steady, fixed look.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fixed or intent look, as of eagerness, wonder, or admiration; a continued look of attention.
  • noun The object gazed on; a gazing-stock.
  • noun In heraldry, standing and turning the head so as to look out from the shield: said only of the hart: equivalent to statant affrontė, which is applied to other beasts used as charges.
  • To look steadily or intently; look with eagerness or curiosity, as in admiration, astonishment, or anxiety.
  • Synonyms Gape, etc. See stare.
  • To look at intently or with fixed attention.

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

  • noun A fixed look; a look of eagerness, wonder, or admiration; a continued look of attention.
  • noun The object gazed on.
  • noun (Her.) In a position expressing sudden fear or surprise; -- a term used in stag hunting to describe the manner of a stag when he first hears the hounds and gazes round in apprehension of some hidden danger; hence, standing agape; idly or stupidly gazing.
  • transitive verb rare To view with attention; to gaze on .
  • intransitive verb To fix the eyes in a steady and earnest look; to look with eagerness or curiosity, as in admiration, astonishment, or with studious attention.

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

  • verb intransitive To stare intently or earnestly.
  • verb transitive (poetic) To stare at.
  • noun A fixed look; a look of eagerness, wonder, or admiration; a continued look of attention.
  • noun archaic The object gazed on.
  • noun In Lacanian psychoanalysis, the relationship of the subject with the desire to look and awareness that one can be viewed.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a long fixed look
  • verb look at with fixed eyes

Etymologies

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

[Middle English gasen, probably of Scandinavian origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Akin to Swedish dial. gasa and Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (usgasjan, "to terrify").

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Examples

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  • 48 on a triple word with a ER word-cross.

    September 26, 2008