Gapeseed, subs. (common).—1. A cause of astonishment; anything provoking the ignorant to stare with open mouth. Also to seek a gape’s nest.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes. Ansanare … to go idly loytring vp and downe as we say, to go seeking for a halfepenie worth of gaping seede.
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 gapeseede, having no businesse there.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew. Gapeseed, whatever the gazing crowd idly stares and gapes after; as Puppet-shows, Rope-dancers, Monsters and Mountebanks, anything to feed the eye.
1694. Poor Robin. ’Tis plainly clear, They for their gapes-seed do pay dear.
1856. N. and Q., 2 S 1., 362. Plenty of persons were sowing gapeseed.
1870. B. F. Clark, Mirthfulness p. 24. Do you wish to buy some gapeseed?
1884. Daily News, 8 Oct. Title (at head of sporting column).
2. (common).—An open-mouthed loiterer.
1885. 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.