to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.
2.
to open wide like a mouth.
3.
to extend or stretch wide, as an open and deep space.
–verb (used with object)
4.
to say with a yawn.
5.
Archaic. to open wide, or lay open, as if by yawning.
–noun
6.
an act or instance of yawning.
7.
an opening; open space; chasm.
8.
Also, yawner.Informal. something so boring as to make one yawn: Critics say the new fashions are one big yawn.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME yanen,yonen (v.), alter. of yenen, OE ge(o)nian; akin to OE gānian, ginan, ON gīna, G gähnen, L hiāre (see hiatus), Gk chaínein to gape (see chasm)]
c.1300, yenen, yonen, from O.E. ginian, gionian "open the mouth wide, gape," from P.Gmc. *gin- (cf. O.N. gina "to yawn," Du. geeuwen, O.H.G. ginen, Ger. gähnen "to yawn"), from PIE *gh(e)i- (cf. O.C.S. zijajo "to gape," Lith. zioju, Czech zivati "to yawn," Gk. khainein, L. hiare "to yawn, gape," Skt. vijihite "to gape, be ajar"). Noun meaning "act of yawning" is recorded from 1697. Yawner "something boring" is Amer.Eng. slang first recorded 1942 (yawn in this sense is attested from 1889).
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"
verb
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]
Main Entry: 2yawn Function: noun : a deep usually involuntary intake of breath through the wide open mouth often as an involuntary reaction to fatigue or
boredom
Main Entry: 1yawn Pronunciation: 'yon, 'yän Function: intransitive verb : to open the mouth wide and inhale deeply usually as an involuntary
reaction to fatigue or boredom
Gin\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Gan, Gon (?), or Gun (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ginning.] [OE. ginnen, AS. ginnan (in comp.), prob. orig., to open, cut open, cf. OHG. inginnan to begin, open, cut open, and prob. akin to AS. g[=i]nan to yawn, and E. yawn. ? See Yawn, v. i., and cf. Begin.] To begin; -- often followed by an infinitive without to; as, gan tell. See Gan. [Obs. or Archaic] "He gan to pray." --Chaucer.
Hi*a"tus\, n.; pl. L. Hiatus, E. Hiatuses. [L., fr. hiare, hiatum, to gape; akin to E. yawn. See Yawn.]1. An opening; an aperture; a gap; a chasm; esp., a defect in a manuscript, where some part is lost or effaced; a space where something is wanting; a break. 2. (Gram.) The concurrence of two vowels in two successive words or syllables. --Pope.
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[=i]nan to yawn, open wide, G. g["a]hnen to yawn, OHG. gin[=e]n, gein[=o]n, Icel. g[=i]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.]1. To open the mouth involuntarily through drowsiness, dullness, or fatigue; to gape; to oscitate. "The lazy, yawning drone." --Shak. And while above he spends his breath, The yawning audience nod beneath. --Trumbull. 2. To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit of anything. 't is now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn. --Shak. 3. To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or bewilderment. --Shak. 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.
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. One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present. --N. Chipman. 2. The act of opening wide, or of gaping. --Addison. 3. A chasm, mouth, or passageway. [R.] Now gape the graves, and trough their yawns let loose Imprisoned spirits. --Marston.
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