*yaw*

a. Disposed to fly away; flighty; unrestrained; light and free; -- used of both persons and things. -- n. A flyaway person or thing. “Truth is such a flyaway.” Emerson. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Bot.) The hair grass (Agrostis scabra). So called from its light panicle, which is blown to great distances by the wind. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) A daw. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Yawed p. pr. & vb. n. Yawing. ] [ Cf. Yew, v. i. ] To rise in blisters, breaking in white froth, as cane juice in the clarifiers in sugar works. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. & t. [ Cf. Prov. G. gagen to rock, gageln to totter, shake, Norw. gaga to bend backward, Icel. gagr bent back, gaga to throw the neck back. ] (Naut.) To steer wild, or out of the line of her course; to deviate from her course, as when struck by a heavy sea; -- said of a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Just as he would lay the ship's course, all yawing being out of the question. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) A movement of a vessel by which she temporarily alters her course; a deviation from a straight course in steering. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Icel. jalda a mare, E. jade a nag. ] A jade; an old horse or mare. [ Written also yaud. ] [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ OE. &yogh_;aulen, &yogh_;oulen, gaulen, goulen, Icel. gaula to low, bellow. Cf. Gowl. ] To cry out like a dog or cat; to howl; to yell. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

There howling Scyllas yawling round about. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. jol; akin to LG. & Dan. jolle, Sw. julle. Cf. Jolly-boat. ] 1. (Naut.) A small ship's boat, usually rowed by four or six oars. [ Written also yaul. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fore-and-aft-rigged vessel with two masts, a mainmast carrying a mainsail and jibs, taller than the mizzenmast and stepped a little farther forward than in a sloop, and with the mizzenmast, or jiggermast far aft, usually placed aft of the water line or aft the rudder post. The mizzenmast of a yawl is smaller, and set further aft, than that of a sloop. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +RH ]

a. (Naut.) Having two masts with fore-and-aft sails, but differing from a schooner in that the after mast is very small, and stepped as far aft as possible. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Yawned p. pr. & vb. n. Yawning. ] [ OE. yanien, &yogh_;anien, ganien, gonien, AS. gānian; akin to ginian to yawn, gīnan to yawn, open wide, G. gähnen to yawn, OHG. ginēn, geinōn, Icel. gīna to yawn, gin the mouth, OSlav. zijati to yawn, L. hiare to gape, yawn; and perhaps to E. begin, cf. Gr. cheia` a hole. √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 ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present. N. Chipman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of opening wide, or of gaping. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A chasm, mouth, or passageway. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Now gape the graves, and trough their yawns let loose
Imprisoned spirits. Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a yawning manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. & n. See Yaup. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ African yaw a raspberry. ] (Med.) A disease, occurring in the Antilles and in Africa, characterized by yellowish or reddish tumors, of a contagious character, which, in shape and appearance, often resemble currants, strawberries, or raspberries. There are several varieties of this disease, variously known as framboesia, pian, verrugas, and crab-yaws. [ 1913 Webster ]