Link Centre Dictionary

gap

UK/ˈɡæp/ US/ɡæp/ fairly common literary slang us
noun (5) verb (1)

noun

1.

a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures

  • “gap between income and outgo”
  • “the spread between lending and borrowing costs”
Synonyms
2.

an open or empty space in or between things

  • “there was a small opening between the trees”
  • “the explosion made a gap in the wall”
Synonyms
3.

a narrow opening

  • “he opened the window a crack”
Synonyms
4.

a pass between mountain peaks

Synonyms
5.

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

  • “it was presented without commercial breaks”
  • “there was a gap in his account”
Synonyms

verb

1.

make an opening or gap in

Synonyms

Origin

Inherited from Middle English gap /gappe, from Old Norse gap (“an empty space, gap, chasm”), from gapa (“to gape, scream”), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to open wide, gape”). Related to Danish gab (“an expanse, space, gap”), Old English ġeap (“open space, expanse”). Doublet of gape.

Phrases

  • accidental gap
  • age gap
  • anion gap
  • annular gap junction
  • Barnesmore Gap
  • Barunga Gap
  • bridge the gap
  • Buffalo Gap

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.