gap

1 of 2

noun

ˈgap 

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

: spark gap

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

ˈga-pē 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• breach
• break
• discontinuity
• gulf
• hiatus
• hole
• interstice
• interval
• opening
• rent
• rift
• separation
• void

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

Noun

This chart also suggests BST, which sports an 8% discount to NAV (or the gap between its market price and NAV), is a great buy now. —Michael Foster, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Weatherstripping While caulking is best for filling in small gaps, weatherstripping is a better heavy-duty option for larger gaps and holes on movable window parts. —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025

Verb

The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. —Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Furthermore, the stock is perched below resistance and can easily gap up to new highs if earnings are strong. —Adam Sarhan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing gap

• bridge the gap
• close the gap
• credibility gap
• gap junction
• gap-toothed
• gap year
• generation gap
• spark gap
• trade gap
• water gap
• wind gap

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

ˈgap 

: a break in continuity especially of structure : hiatus