From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Yawn \Yawn\, n.
1. An involuntary act, excited by drowsiness, etc.,
consisting of a deep and long inspiration following
several successive attempts at inspiration, the mouth,
fauces, etc., being wide open.
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One person yawning in company will produce a
spontaneous yawn in all present. --N. Chipman.
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2. The act of opening wide, or of gaping. --Addison.
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3. A chasm, mouth, or passageway. [R.]
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Now gape the graves, and trough their yawns let
loose
Imprisoned spirits. --Marston.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Yawn \Yawn\ (y[add]n), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Yawned}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Yawning}.] [OE. yanien, [yogh]anien, ganien, gonien,
AS. g[=a]nian; akin to ginian to yawn, g[imac]nan to yawn,
open wide, G. g[aum]hnen to yawn, OHG. gin[=e]n, gein[=o]n,
Icel. g[imac]na to yawn, gin the mouth, OSlav. zijati to
yawn, L. hiare to gape, yawn; and perhaps to E. begin, cf.
Gr. cheia` a hole. [root]47b. Cf. Begin, Gin to begin,
{Hiatus}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To open the mouth involuntarily through drowsiness,
dullness, or fatigue; to gape; to oscitate. "The lazy,
yawning drone." --Shak.
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And while above he spends his breath,
The yawning audience nod beneath. --Trumbull.
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2. To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit
of anything.
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't is now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn. --Shak.
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3. To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or
bewilderment. --Shak.
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4. To be eager; to desire to swallow anything; to express
desire by yawning; as, to yawn for fat livings. "One long,
yawning gaze." --Landor.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
yawn
n 1: an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth;
usually triggered by fatigue or boredom; "he could not
suppress a yawn"; "the yawning in the audience told him it
was time to stop"; "he apologized for his oscitancy" [syn:
{yawn}, {yawning}, {oscitance}, {oscitancy}]
v 1: utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired;
"The child yawned during the long performance"
2: be wide open; "the deep gaping canyon" [syn: {gape}, {yawn},
{yaw}]
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