last gasp
noun
1.
a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise.
2.
a convulsive effort to breathe.
3.
a short, convulsive utterance: the words came out in gasps.
verb (used without object)
4.
to catch one's breath.
5.
to struggle for breath with the mouth open; breathe convulsively.
6.
to long with breathless eagerness; desire; crave (usually followed by for or after ).
00:10
Last gasp
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
verb (used with object)
Idioms 7.
to utter with gasps (often followed by out, forth, away, etc.): She gasped out the words.
8.
to breathe or emit with gasps (often followed by away ).
9.
last gasp, the point of death; dying: At his last gasp he confessed to the murder.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To last gasp
Collins
World English Dictionary
gasp (ɡɑːsp) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb (often foll by out) | |
| 1. | (intr) to draw in the breath sharply, convulsively, or with effort, esp in expressing awe, horror, etc |
| 2. | (intr; |
| 3. | to utter or emit breathlessly |
| —n | |
| 4. | a short convulsive intake of breath |
| 5. | a short convulsive burst of speech |
| 6. | at the last gasp |
| a. at the point of death | |
| b. at the last moment | |
| [C14: from Old Norse geispa to yawn; related to Swedish dialect gispa, Danish gispe] | |
| 'gaspingly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
gasp
late 14c., gaspen, of uncertain origin, perhaps from O.N. geispa "to yawn," or its Dan. derivative gispe "gasp." Related: Gasped; gasping.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| GASP Group Against Smoking in Public |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
last gasp
The moment before death; also, the end. For example, "Fight till the last gasp" (Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI, 1:2), or He was determined to stay at the party until the last gasp. This idiom alludes to taking one's last breath, literally (first example) or figuratively (second example). [Late 1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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