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Inspect vs Gawk - What's the difference?

inspect | gawk | Related terms |

Inspect is a related term of gawk.


As verbs the difference between inspect and gawk

is that inspect is to examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize while gawk is to stare or gape stupidly.

As a noun gawk is

a cuckoo or gawk can be a simpleton, stupid or clumsy person.

inspect

English

Alternative forms

* enspect

Verb

(en verb)
  • To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.
  • To view and examine officially.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=6 citation , passage=‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.}}

    Derived terms

    * inspector * inspection

    Anagrams

    * *

    gawk

    English

    Etymology 1

    From a variant of gowk, from (etyl) gowke, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a cuckoo
    • (Johnson)
  • a fool
    • (Carlyle)

    Etymology 2

    A Middle-Appalachian Americanism, since late 1800s, possibly misconstruing French "gauche," and leading to use of adj gawky for a person or process that is uncoordinated or awkward.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a simpleton, stupid or clumsy person.

    • Etymology 3

    Perhaps from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stare or gape stupidly
  • To stare conspicuously.

    • References

    Appalachian English