agoggle

English

Etymology

a- + goggle

Adjective

agoggle (comparative more agoggle, superlative most agoggle)

  1. Goggling: (of a person or face) staring with wide eyes; (of eyes) opened wide to stare.
    • 1859, J. Stanyan Bigg, “Urban, the Monk” in Lays of the Sanctuary and Other Poems, London: E. Good, p. 277,
      his starting eyes / Both wide agoggle, twice their size.
    • 1969, Patricia Highsmith, The Tremor of Forgery, Penguin, 1987, Chapter 25, p. 234,
      [He] was agoggle with surprise.
    • 1977, Nigel Williams, My Life Closed Twice, London: Faber and Faber, 1986, Part 3, Chapter 20, p. 169,
      I turned, to discover Louise’s face, pressed against the glass, a-goggle with worry and concern.
    • 2008, N. S. Köenings, “Sisters for Shama” in Theft, New York: Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, p. 193,
      The boys, still young, not yet enamored of kung fu, would sprawl below the soft brown sofa, legs and hands entangled, eyes agoggle at the screen.
  2. Amazed (at something).
    • a. 1839, William Eaton, “An Essay” cited in James Nack, Earl Rupert, and Other Tales and Poems, New York: George Adlard, 1839, p. 128,
      such poetry as this / Must set you all a-goggle!
    • 1970, Marian T. Place, Mountain Man, London: Crowell-Collier, Chapter 9, p. 88,
      [] the Crows were agoggle at the results of Jim’s dickering.
    • 2008, Michael Norman, Haunted Homeland, New York: Tom Doherty Associates, Chapter 21, p. 390,
      [] a mysterious intruder leaving diminutive size-six footprints had residents agoggle.
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