In a state of being agape or wide open; an archaic or rare term.
From 'a-' (prefix meaning 'in a state of') plus 'whape,' a dialectal or obsolete word possibly related to 'gape.' This construction was common in Middle English and Old English.
Words starting with 'a-' plus a verb (like 'ablaze,' 'afire,' 'asleep') create a special adverbial form that was more common in older English. This word is so rare that it barely appears in modern texts!
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