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

As burnout has shown to affect women disproportionately to men, Kathy McCabe bridges a growing gap between productivity and overall employee satisfaction. —Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Millennials are stepping into leadership, Boomers remain invaluable mentors, Gen X continues to bridge gaps, and Gen Z is already influencing cultural shifts. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

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

Just tried to manage my gap to Casey [Johnson] there, try to gap him a little bit and then just manage it for a late-race caution. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 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