Gasping

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Gasp \Gasp\ (g[.a]sp), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Gasped} (g[.a]spt);
     p. pr. & vb. n. {Gasping}.] [OE. gaspen, gaispen, to yawn,
     gasp, Icel. geispa to yawn; akin to Sw. g[aum]spa, Dan. gispe
     to gasp.]
     1. 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. --Lloyd.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To pant with eagerness; to show vehement desire.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Quenching the gasping furrows' thirst with rain.
                                                    --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  gasping
       adj : breathing laboriously or convulsively [syn: {blown}, {out of
             breath(p)}, {panting}, {pursy}, {short-winded}, {winded}]