Etymology From a- + gape. First known use by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667).
1
In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention; as with mouth hanging open.
[…] in himself was all his state, More solemn then the tedious pomp that waits On Princes, when thir rich Retinue long Of Horses led, and Grooms besmeard with Gold Dazles the croud, and sets them all agape.1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, London, Book 5, lines 353-357:
There I stand, agape like any country bumpkin1923, Arthur Michael Samuel, “Roubiliac (1695-1762)”, in The Mancroft essays, page 159:
2 more examples
That's all well and good; one can sit, agape, reading the copious liner notes to this or any Explorer record, but it's what's inside the jacket that counts.1980, Joel Flegler, Fanfare, volume 3, numbers 4-6, page 198:
The restaurant staff and OTHER DINNER GUESTS watch, agape.1996, Lech J. Majewski with Julian Schnabel, Basquiat:
2
Wide open.
With his mouth agape and his hands clenched, Rufus Dawes, incapable of further speech, made a last effort to nod assent, but his head fell upon his breast; the next moment, the flickering light, the gloomy prison, the eager face of the doctor, and the astonished face of Vickers, vanished from before his straining eyes.1874, Marcus Clarke, chapter VIII, in For the Term of His Natural Life:
He tries not to tear his victim's stockings, or whip too close to her stretched vulva, which shivers, unprotected, between thighs agape and straining, amid movements of muscle erotic, subdued, “monumental” as any silver memory of her body on film.1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:
4 more examples
In the last frame, he throws back his head and wails, his mouth agape.1995 September 24, “Stop Me If Yov've Heard this One”, in Washington Post:
With dropped jaws and eyes agape, a world beholds the blur of Michael Johnson1996 August 2, “Johnson can fly, and he does it without wings”, in Chicago Sun-Times:
If the slightly agape mouth is closed prior to mouth opening, this is termed the preparatory phase and is more common in suction-feeding bony fishes than elasmobranchs.2004, Jeffrey C. Carrier, John A. Musick, Michael R. Heithaus, Biology of Sharks and their Relatives, page 171:
Mouths were agape on the announcement of England’s starting lineup, the return of Keira Walsh appearing miraculous 10 days after she left the pitch on a stretcher in agony.2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack, “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian:
agape
adv
Etymology From a- + gape. First known use by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667).
1
In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention.
Three of us--two biologists and I--were crouched behind a huge boulder at the water's edge and staring agape as the largest bear I ever saw came toward us1987 June 26, “On the Prowl in Grizzly Country”, in Chicago Tribune:
"This is Sammy 91," he told the two dozen tourists watching agape."2005 September 24, “Angry Surfers Say Cage-Diving Changes Great White's Way”, in Wall Street Journal:
1 more example
One features a science teacher looking agape at the camera which has caught him reading red-handed.2008 January 8, “Reading gets the glitzy treatment”, in BBC News:
2
Open wide.
Its mouth yawned agape1911 January 7, “The Man-killer”, in Poverty Bay Herald:
The bathroom door stood agape, and the peeling vinyl floor was bare.1996, Perri O'Shaughnessy, Invasion of Privacy, page 508:
1 more example
He glanced up into Richard's eyes, his own wide with wonder, his mouth hanging agape.2005, Terry Goodkind, Chainfire, page 427:
agape
noun
/əˈɡɑː.peɪ/ · /ˈæɡ.ɑˌpeɪ/
Etymology From Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē).
1
Christianity The love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others.
2
Spiritual, altruistic, beneficial love which wills good for others.
3
A love feast, especially one held in the early Christian Church in connection with the Eucharist.