gasper

gasp +‎ -er

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gasper (plural gaspers)

1. A person or animal that gasps.
2. (informal) Something that causes one to gasp in shock, suspense, or awe.
   • 2022 October 10, Jenna Scherer, “House Of The Dragon drops its best episode yet”, in AV Club‎:

     Viserys unsheathes his dagger and says he’ll have his tongue for this, but his brother is quicker. In a classic Game Of Thrones gasper of a moment, Daemon whips out his sword and slices the top half of Vaemond’s head off like a watermelon. “He can keep his tongue,” the prince remarks, in a savage mic drop.

3. (British, slang) A cigarette.
   • 1975, “Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)”, in Nighthawks at the Diner, performed by Tom Waits:

     Standing on the corner like a just-got-in-town jasper / I'm on a street corner with a gasper

   • 1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 183:

     The engineer shivers in the bright chill and lights a gasper of his own and tells Madame Psychosis through the intercom that the whole range of levels is fine.

4. (BDSM, slang) One who is aroused by autoasphyxiation.
   • 1999, floodin...@webtv.net, “gay male gaspers/breath control and choking roleplay.”, in alt.sex.necrophilia (Usenet):

5. (slang, aviation) An adjustable air outlet over a passenger seat in aircraft.

• Grapes, gapers, grapes, pagers, parges, sparge