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Origin and history of gaze

gaze(v.)

late 14c., gasen, gazen, "to stare, look steadily and intently," probably of Scandinavian origin (compare Norwegian, Swedish dialectal gasa "to gape"), perhaps related somehow to Old Norse ga "heed" (see gawk). Related: Gazed; gazing; gazer; gazee; gazeful; gazement.

gaze(n.)

1540s, "thing stared at;" 1560s as "a long look," from gaze (v.). "Gaze represents a fixed and prolonged look, with the mind absorbed in that which is looked at" [Century Dictionary]. Gaze-hound (1560s) was an old name for a dog that follows prey by sight, not scent.

also from 1540s

Entries linking to gaze

gawk(v.)

"stare stupidly," 1785, American English, of uncertain origin. Perhaps [Watkins] from gaw, a survival from Middle English gowen "to stare" (c. 1200), from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse ga "to heed," from Proto-Germanic *gawon, from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worship" (see favor (n.)); and altered perhaps by gawk hand (see gawky). Liberman finds this untenable and writes that its history is entangled with that of gowk "cuckoo," which is from Scandinavian, but it need not be from that word, either. Nor is French gauche (itself probably from Germanic) considered a likely source. "It is possibly another independent imitative formation with the structure g-k" (compare geek). From 1867 as a noun. Related: Gawked; gawking.

star-gazer(n.)

"one who observes and studies the stars," originally also "an astronomer or astrologer," 1550s, from star (n.) + agent noun from gaze (v.). Related: Star-gazing (n.), 1570s; star-gaze (v.), 1620s. Star-peeper "an astrologer" is from 1630s.

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    Trends of gaze

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    stare
    Old English starian "to gaze steadily with the eyes wide open, look fixedly at, be wide-eyed" (with madness, awe, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *staren "be rigid" (source also of Old Norse stara, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch staren, Old High German staren, German starren "to s
    regard
    mid-14c., "a consideration; a judgment," from Old French regard, regart, from regarder "take notice of," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix, + garder "look, heed," from a Germanic language (see guard (n.)). Meanings "a look, appearance; respect, esteem, favor, kindly feel
    contemplative
    "speculative, theoretical," formed (after Greek theoretikos) from contemplat-, past-participle stem of contemplari "to gaze...
    pore
    early 13c., pouren, "gaze intently, look with close and steady attention or examination," a word of unknown origin, with...
    glow
    Swedish dialectal and Danish glo also have the extended sense "stare, gaze upon," which is found in Middle English....
    contemplate
    1590s, "reflect upon, ponder, study, view mentally, meditate," from Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari "to gaze...
    picturephone
    It is called Picturephone, and it is a small television camera and receiver that allows telephone users to gaze into the...
    look
    Old English locian "use the eyes for seeing, gaze, look, behold, spy," from West Germanic *lokjan (source also of Old Saxon lokon "see, look, spy," Middle Dutch loeken "to look," Old High German luogen, German dialectal lugen "to look out"), a word of unknown origin. Breton lagud
    Taser
    1972, formed (probably on model of laser, etc.) from the initials of Tom Swift's electric rifle, a fictitious weapon. A word that threatens to escape the cage of its trademark, despite the strenuous efforts of the owners, who are within their rights to fight to hold it. They also
    offspring
    Old English ofspring "children or young collectively, descendants," literally "those who spring off (someone)," from of "away, away from" (see off (prep.)) + springan "to spring" (see spring (v.)). Similar formation in Old Norse afspringr. The figurative sense "that which is prod

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    Dictionary entries near gaze
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