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Perceive vs Gawk - What's the difference?

perceive | gawk | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between perceive and gawk

is that perceive is to see, to be aware of, to understand while gawk is to stare or gape stupidly.

As a noun gawk is

a cuckoo.

perceive

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete)

Verb

  • To see, to be aware of, to understand.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
    • , author=Colin Allen , title=Do I See What You See? , volume=100, issue=2, page=168 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Numerous experimental tests and other observations have been offered in favor of animal mind reading, and although many scientists are skeptical, others assert that humans are not the only species capable of representing what others do and don’t perceive and know.}}

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Related terms

    * perception * percept

    References

    *

    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