gap

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a break in a barrier (such as a wall, hedge, or line of military defense)
b
: an assailable position
2
a
: a mountain pass
b
: ravine
3
4
a
: a separation in space
b
: an incomplete or deficient area
a gap in her knowledge
5
: a break in continuity : hiatus
6
: a break in the vascular cylinder of a plant where a vascular trace departs from the central cylinder
7
: lack of balance : disparity
the gap between imports and exports
8
: a wide difference in character or attitude
the generation gap
9
: a problem caused by some disparity
a communication gap
credibility gap
gappy adjective

gap

2 of 2

verb

gapped; gapping

transitive verb

1
: to make an opening in
2
: to adjust the space between the electrodes of (a spark plug)

intransitive verb

: to fall or stand open

Examples of gap in a Sentence

Noun The child had a gap between her two front teeth. The gap between the lead runner and the rest of the field continued to widen. The sheep got through a gap in the fence. There are unexplained gaps in his story. The class filled in the gaps in my knowledge of biology. She had taken several years off to raise a family, so there was a large gap in her work history.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But that still leaves a $450,000 gap to meet the deadline. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024 The unconformity, or ‘time gap,’ demonstrates that years of history are missing. Liam Courtney-Davies, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Conversely, if the numbers disappoint, the stock can easily gap down. Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gap 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gap, gappe, borrowed from Old Norse gap "chasm, outcry," noun derivative of gapa "to gape entry 1"

Verb

derivative of gap entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gap was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gap

Cite this Entry

“Gap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gap. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gap

noun
ˈgap
1
: a break in a barrier
2
a
: a mountain pass
b
: ravine
3
: a space or separation : a break in continuity
gaps in your story
a gap where the tooth had been
4
: a wide difference (as in amount, character, or attitude)
a wage gap

Medical Definition

gap

noun
: a break in continuity especially of structure : hiatus

More from Merriam-Webster on gap

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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