Partly from Middle Englishyanen ("to yawn"), from Old EnglishÄ¡Änian, from Proto-Germanic*ganÅnÄ… (compare North Frisian jÃ¥ne, German gähnen, dialectal Swedish gana ("to gape, gawk")), denominative of *ganaz (compare Swedish gan ("gullet, maw"));
and partly from Middle Englishyenen, yonen ("to yawn"), from Old EnglishÄ¡inian, Ä¡ionian, frequentative of Ä¡Ä«nan, from Proto-Germanic*gÄ«nanÄ… (compare Norwegian gina ("to gape")), from Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰihâ‚-nehâ‚‚ (compare Russianзинуть, Greek χαίνω);
both from Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰehâ‚‚u- ("to yawn, gape") (compare Dutch geeuwen, Latin hiÅ, Tocharian AÅ›ew, Tocharian BkÄyÄ, Lithuanianžioti, Russian зиÑÌÑ‚ÑŒ, Sanskrit विजिहीते.
Full definition of yawn
Verb
To open the mouthwidely and take a long, rather deep breath, often because one is tired and sometimes accompanied by pandiculation.I could see my students yawning, so I knew the lesson was boring them.
TrumbullAnd while above he spends his breath, The yawning audience nod beneath.
To present a wide opening.The canyon yawns as it has done for millions of years, and we stand looking, dumbstruck.Death yawned before us, and I hit the brakes.
Shakespeare'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn.
To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or bewilderment.
To be eager; to desire to swallow anything; to express desire by yawning.to yawn for fat livings
