To gawp is to look at something for a long time, often with your mouth a little open, because you are surprised or cannot quite believe what you are seeing. It is informal, and it is especially British; American speakers more often say gawk or stare. There is a hint that the looking is not polite — you are staring as if the other person were a show. Parents tell children not to gawp. You can gawp at a crash, at a famous person, at a huge building. As a noun, a gawp is that same open-mouthed look, though the verb is far more common. Though actually, people stretch it a little: any long, empty stare can be called gawping, even when the mouth is not really open.