gawk

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔːk

Etymology 1

From Old English, akin to Old Norse gaukr (cuckoo) (Danish gøg, Swedish gök) and Old High German gouh (German Gauch). More at yeke.

Noun

gawk (plural gawks)

1. a cuckoo
2. a fool

Etymology 2

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.

Noun

gawk (plural gawks)

1. a simpleton, stupid or clumsy person.

Etymology 3

Perhaps from Old Norse gá (“to heed”).

Verb

gawk (third-person singular simple present gawks, present participle gawking, simple past and past participle gawked)

1. To stare or gape stupidly
2. To stare conspicuously.

Translations

To stare or gape stupidly

Bosnian: blenuti (bs), buljiti (bs) Danish: glane (da), glo (da), måbe (da)

Finnish: töllistellä (fi) Russian: таращиться, смотреть с глупым видом

To stare conspicuously

Bosnian: buljiti (bs), zuriti (bs)