YAWNING

drowsy, oscitant, yawning

(adjective) showing lack of attention or boredom; “the yawning congregation”

yawning

(adjective) gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something; “the yawning mine shaft”; “a yawning abyss”

yawning

(adjective) with the mouth wide open indicating boredom or sleepiness; “a yawning congregation”

yawn, yawning, oscitance, oscitancy

(noun) an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom; “he could not suppress a yawn”; “the yawning in the audience told him it was time to stop”; “he apologized for his oscitancy”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

yawning

present participle of yawn

Noun

yawning (countable and uncountable, plural yawnings)

The action of the verb yawn.

Adjective

yawning (comparative more yawning, superlative most yawning)

That yawns or yawn.

(figuratively) Wide open.

Source: Wiktionary

YAWN

Yawn, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Yawned; p. pr. & vb. n. Yawning.] Etym: [OE. yanien, ýanien, ganien, gonien, AS. ganian; akin to ginian to yawn, ginan to yawn, open wide, G. gähnen to yawn, OHG. ginen, geinon, Icel. gina to yawn, gin the mouth, OSlav. zijati to yawn, L. hiare to gape, yawn; and perhaps to E. begin, cf. Gr. b. Cf. Begin, Gin to begin, Hiatus.]

1. To open the mouth involuntarily through drowsiness, dullness, or fatigue; to gape; to oscitate. "The lazy, yawning drone." Shak. And while above he spends his breath, The yawning audience nod beneath. Trumbull.

2. To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit of anything. 't is now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn. Shak.

3. To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or bewilderment. Shak.

4. To be eager; to desire to swallow anything; to express desire by yawning; as, to yawn for fat livings. "One long, yawning gaze." Landor.

Yawn, n.

1. 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. One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present. N. Chipman.

2. The act of opening wide, or of gaping. Addison.

3. A chasm, mouth, or passageway. [R.] Now gape the graves, and trough their yawns let loose Imprisoned spirits. Marston.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition