From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishyawnyawn1 /jɔːn $ jɒːn/ ●●○ verb [intransitive] 1 HBHTIREDto open your mouth wide and breathe in deeply because you are tired or bored Alan stretched and yawned.2 → yawning gap/gulf/chasm (between something)3 OPEN literary to be or become wide open, especially in a frightening way The pit yawned open in front of them.yawning gap/hole etc the yawning gap between the two cliffs→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
yawn• The baby yawned again, and the process continued until they both fell asleep.• Fred stood up, yawned and stretched.• Adam yawned as he began to study the words once more.• Had he ever made it back, people would have still yawned at him.• Prior to this lies the yawning stretch of epochs known as the Precambrian.yawned open• The adamantium trunk yawned open, the glassy coils lying immobile within.yawnyawn2 ●●○ noun 1 [countable]HBHTIRED an act of yawning Kay shook her head and stifled a yawn (=tried to stop yawning).2 → a yawnExamples from the Corpus
yawn• After feeding in the access code he sat back and stifled a yawn.• When pro golfer Tiger Woods won the Masters two weeks ago, it was all I could do to suppress a yawn.• Last-minute mini-scandals were a yawn.• A yawn unsuccessfully stifled, I forgot the rest of the sentence.• His yawn turned into a grin as he considered her invitation of the night before.• In the grounds of the hotel used as an Axis headquarters, he heard a sentry yawn but found no guns.• It was followed by a stifled yawn.stifled a yawn• It was followed by a stifled yawn.• After feeding in the access code he sat back and stifled a yawn.• He stifled a yawn then stood up and went into the kitchen.• Then they played cards until stifled yawns and missed tricks told them that tiredness was now king.Origin yawn1 Old English geonian 