yawn

views updated

yawn / yôn/ • v. [intr.] involuntarily open one's mouth wide and inhale deeply due to tiredness or boredom. ∎  [usu. as adj.] (yawning) be wide open: a yawning chasm.• n. a reflex act of opening one's mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to tiredness or boredom. ∎ inf. a thing that is considered boring or tedious: the awards show was a four-hour yawn.DERIVATIVES: yawn·ing·ly adv.

More From encyclopedia.com