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yawn

(yôn)

v. yawned, yawn·ing, yawns

v.intr.

1. To open the mouth wide with a deep inhalation, usually involuntarily from drowsiness, fatigue, or boredom.

2. To open wide; gape: The chasm yawned at our feet.

v.tr.

To utter wearily, as while yawning: yawned his disapproval of the silly venture.

1. The act of yawning.

2. Informal One that provokes yawns; a bore: The movie was nothing more than one big yawn.

[Middle English yanen, alteration of yonen, yenen, from Old English geonian.]

yawner n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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