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yawn - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'yawn' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Yawn [ n.]
- 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.
- The act of opening wide, or of gaping.
- A chasm, mouth, or passageway.
2 . Yawn [ v. i.]
- To open the mouth involuntarily through drowsiness, dullness, or fatigue; to gape; to oscitate.
- To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit of anything.
- To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or bewilderment.
- To be eager; to desire to swallow anything; to express desire by yawning; as, to yawn for fat livings.

Meaning of 'yawn' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . yawn [ n]
Meaning (1):
- an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom
Example in sentence:
  • he apologized for his oscitancy;
  • he could not suppress a yawn;
  • the yawning in the audience told him it was time to stop
2 . yawn [ v]
Meaning (2):
- utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
Example in sentence:
  • The child yawned during the long performance
Meaning (3):
- be wide open
Example in sentence:
  • the deep gaping canyon

Nearby Words:

yaw yaw-weed yawd yawed yawing yawl yawl-rigged yawned yawning yawningly

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