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.
[1913 Webster]
And while above he spends his breath,
The yawning audience nod beneath. --Trumbull.
[1913 Webster]
2. To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit
of anything.
[1913 Webster]
't is now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or
bewilderment. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
yawning
adj 1: gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or
something; "the yawning mine shaft"; "a yawning abyss"
2: with the mouth wide open indicating boredom or sleepiness; "a
yawning congregation"
3: showing lack of attention or boredom; "the yawning
congregation" [syn: {drowsy}, {oscitant}, {yawning(a)}]
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}]
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