Past tense of 'gawk'; stared openly, often in a rude or foolish manner, usually with the mouth open.
From 'gawk' (probably Scandinavian or German origin meaning to turn or gape); '-ed' is the regular past tense suffix; the word entered English in the 1700s.
Gawked perfectly captures the physical comedy of human staring—it's not a neutral look but includes the open mouth and dead-eyed expression, which is why this word feels more vivid than 'looked' for describing tourist behavior.
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