Pronunciations (2)
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/ɡɔːk/
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/ɡɑk/
Pronunciation notes
- cot-caught-merger
Noun
A cuckoo; (sometimes by extension) any gawky bird.
- Examples
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His morning prey he craveth; So crowed the gawk of carrion⁶ […] (6) Gawk of carrion = [kenning for] raven.
Some sneakingly fly watching, as the hawk; Or, as a Cuckoo, grow to limb as a gawk.
More examples (3)
I WONDER if you know the cuckoos. […] In Scotlad the popular name for the cuckoo is "the gawk," which means fool. […] But our American cuckoos are a long way from gawks. Indeed many farmers consider them fine weather prophets.
[…] threw into a market crate regretfully a somewhat gawky, long-legged youngster that was otherwise exceptionally fine. A neighbour rescued the gawk from the market crate and the two birds as cocks competed in a local show. The "gawk" won. Why? […] the gawk [appeared] of good station.
[…] cuckoos proper have fourteen cervical vertebrae and no feather crest. The ejection urge is well developed in them. The gawks [:] There are three genera with thirteen species of gawks. A. THICK-BILLED CUCKOOS (Pachycoccyx) have only one species[…]
A fool; a simpleton; a stupid or clumsy person.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
A Duke of Weissenfels, for instance; foolish old gawk, whom Wilhehmina Princess Royal recollects for his distracted notions, — which were well shaken out of him by Wilhelmina's Brother afterwards.
Verb
To stare or gape stupidly.
To stare conspicuously.
To suck.
Usage- Colloquial
- Vulgar
Noun
A conspicuous or stupid stare or gape; an instance of gawking.
- Examples
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... the gawks and gapes of townsfolk as stares of admiration.
... the gawks and gapes of those who'd expected him to be long dead,[…]
Noun
an awkward stupid person
- Broader terms
Verb
look with amazement; look stupidly
- Broader terms