I. yawn 1 /jɔːn $ jɒːn/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: geonian ]
1 . to 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) a very large difference between two groups, things, or people:
the yawning gap between the two parties
the yawning gulf between the rich and the poor
3 . 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
II. yawn 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . [countable] an act of yawning:
Kay shook her head and stifled a yawn (=tried to stop yawning) .
2 . a yawn informal someone or something that is boring:
The party was a big yawn.