subs. (common).—1.  A cause of astonishment; anything provoking the ignorant to stare with open mouth. Also TO SEEK A GAPE’S NEST.

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  1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Ansanare … to go idly loytring vp and downe as we say, to go seeking for a halfepenie worth of GAPING SEEDE.

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  1600.  NASHE, Summer’s Last Will, in wks. (GROSART), vi., 144.

        That if a fellow licensed to beg,
Should all his life time go from faire to faire,
And buy GAPE-SEEDE, hauing no businesse else.

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  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew. GAPESEED, whatever the gazing crowd idly stares and gapes after; as Puppet-shows, Rope-dancers, Monsters and Mountebanks, anything to feed the eye.

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  1694.  Poor Robin.

                        ’Tis plainly clear,
They for their GAPES-SEED do pay dear.

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  1856.  Notes and Queries, 2 S. i., 362. Plenty of persons were sowing GAPESEED.

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  1870.  B. F. CLARK, Mirthfulness and Its Exciters, p. 24. Do you wish to buy some GAPE-SEED?

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  1884.  Daily News, 8 Oct. Title (at head of sporting column).

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  2.  (common).—An open-mouthed loiterer.

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  1885.  The Sportsman, June 23, p. 2, c. 4. The yearlings bred by Messrs. Graham were offered to a rather select audience of buyers, though the ring was surrounded by a fairly strong crowd of GAPESEEDS.

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