Gawk: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to describe staring at something or someone in a way that seems foolish or rude, often out of surprise or curiosity. It has a negative connotation.

• People stopped to gawk at the accident on the highway.
• He couldn't help but gawk at the celebrity walking by.

Used in a context where breaking down a sentence or text into its parts to understand its structure or meaning is required. Often used in computing or linguistic studies.

• The programmer wrote a script to parse the JSON data.
• In the language class, we learned how to parse complex sentences.

Used in a context where looking at something in detail to understand its structure or meaning is necessary. Often used in academic, scientific, or professional settings.

• The scientist needs to analyze the data before making a conclusion.
• She took some time to analyze the situation before giving her advice.

Used to describe looking over something quickly to find specific information or to get a general impression. It can also refer to the act of using a device to make a digital copy of a document.

• She scanned the crowd for a familiar face.
• I need to scan this document and email it to my boss.