gasp

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• COUNT in NET: 1 in 1 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

gasp, v. i. [OE. gaspen, gaispen, to yawn, gasp, Icel. geispa to yawn; akin to Sw. gäspa, Dan. gispe to gasp.].

•  To open the mouth wide in catching the breath, or in laborious respiration; to labor for breath; to respire convulsively; to pant violently.  [1913 Webster]

  "She gasps and struggles hard for life."  [1913 Webster]
•  To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.  [1913 Webster]

  "Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain."  [1913 Webster]

gasp, v. t. 

 To emit or utter with gasps; -- with forth, out, away, etc.  [1913 Webster]
"And with short sobs he gasps away his breath."  [1913 Webster]

gasp, n. 

 The act of opening the mouth convulsively to catch the breath; a labored respiration; a painful catching of the breath.  [1913 Webster]

At the last gasp, at the point of death. Addison.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gasp, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. catch one's breath with an open mouth as in exhaustion or astonishment.
2 intr. (foll. by for) strain to obtain by gasping (gasped for air).
3 tr. (often foll. by out) utter with gasps.
--n. a convulsive catching of breath.

Idiom

at one's last gasp
1 at the point of death.
2 exhausted.

Etymology

ME f. ON geispa: cf. geip idle talk

THESAURUS

gasp

Aqua-Lung, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze, bake, bark, bawl, be in heat, bellow, blare, blat, blaze, bloom, blow, blubber, boil, boom, bray, break down, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe hard, breathe in, breathe out, breathing, broil, broken wind, burn, burn out, buzz, cackle, chant, chirp, choke, collapse, combust, coo, cook, cough, crack up, crow, drawl, droop, drop, exclaim, exhalation, exhale, exhaust, expel, expiration, expire, exsufflation, faint, fatigue, flag, flame, flame up, flare, flare up, flicker, flush, flute, fry, get tired, give out, glow, grow weary, growl, grunt, gulp, hack, heave, hiccup, hiss, huff, incandesce, inhalation, inhalator, inhale, inspiration, inspire, insufflation, iron lung, jade, keen, lilt, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, mumble, murmur, mutter, oxygen mask, oxygen tent, pant, parch, peter out, pipe, play out, poop out, puff, puff and blow, radiate heat, respiration, respire, roar, roast, rumble, run down, run out, scald, scorch, scream, screech, scuba, seethe, shimmer with heat, shriek, sibilate, sigh, simmer, sing, sink, smolder, smother, snap, snarl, sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snore, snoring, snort, snuff, snuffle, sob, spark, squall, squawk, squeal, steam, sternutation, stertor, stew, stifle, succumb, suffocate, suspiration, sweat, swelter, thunder, tire, toast, trumpet, twang, wail, warble, weary, wheeze, whine, whisper, wilt, wind, yap, yawp, yell, yelp

ROGET THESAURUS

gasp

Disease

VB V, be ill, ail, suffer, labor under, be affected with, complain of, have, droop, flag, languish, halt, sicken, peak, pine, gasp, keep one's bed, feign sickness, lay by, lay up, take a disease, catch a disease, catch an infection, break out.

Fatigue

VB be fatigued, yawn, droop, sink, flag, lose breath, lose wind, gasp, pant, puff, blow, drop, swoon, faint, succumb, fatigue, tire, weary, irk, flag, jade, harass, exhaust, knock up, wear out, prostrate, tax, task, strain, overtask, overwork, overburden, overtax, overstrain.

Wind

VB blow, waft, blow hard, blow great guns, blow a hurricane, wuther, stream, issue, respire, breathe, puff, whiff, whiffle, gasp, wheeze, snuff, snuffle, sniff, sniffle, sneeze, cough, fan, ventilate, inflate, perflate, blow up.