# yawn

Pronunciation: say "YAWN" US /jɔn/, UK /jɔːn/, AUS /joːn/

## Verb

1. To open the mouth wide and take a long, deep breath, often from tiredness or boredom, sometimes together with a stretch.
   - Simple: To open your mouth wide and take a deep breath, often when you are tired or bored.
   - _He tried not to yawn during the long staff meeting._
   - _The children yawned through the final hour of the car trip._
3. To form or present a wide, deep opening; to gape open.
   - Simple: To be wide open, like a deep hole or a large gap.
   - _A vast chasm yawned where the road had collapsed._
   - _Deep ravines yawn between the mountain peaks._
5. To utter words while in the act of yawning.
   - Simple: To say something in the middle of a yawn.
   - _"I think I'll turn in," he yawned, rubbing his eyes._
   - _Half asleep, the children yawn their answers during the early class._

## Noun

2. An instance of opening the mouth wide and drawing a long, deep breath, usually because of tiredness or boredom.
   - Simple: An act of opening your mouth wide and taking a deep breath when tired or bored.
   - _A sudden yawn interrupted her answer during the interview._
   - _He stifled a yawn as the professor droned on._
4. An event or occasion so dull that it bores everyone present. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Something so boring that it makes you want to fall asleep.
   - _Critics called the sequel a complete yawn._
   - _The conference turned out to be a yawn, with one flat speaker after another._

## Verb

6. To open the mouth or gape because of surprise or bewilderment. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To open your mouth wide in surprise or confusion.
7. To be eager for something; to long to seize or swallow it up. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To strongly want or long to have something.
   - _The conquerors yawned for every kingdom that lay beyond their borders._
   - _Rivals yawn for the same office, each certain he deserves it._

## Origin

This word comes partly from Middle English yanen and partly from Middle English gonen, both meaning "to yawn" or "gape," descending from Old English ġeonian and gānian. Both trace back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to yawn, gape," and it is related to German gähnen and Latin hiō, among others.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/yawn (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).