OSCITANT

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 19 August 2011

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OSCITANT  (adj.)

Definition(s):

1. (adj.) yawning; sleepy
2. (adj.) lazy or dull

Useful information for game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: (none)
• Anagrams: TACTIONS
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: OSCITANCE (n.), OSCITANCY (n.)

Epilogue:
Today’s word and the noun forms OSCITANCE and OSCITANCY have been used in English to describe yawning or drowsiness since the seventeenth century.  They derive from the Latin oscitare, “to yawn,” which is further from os (“mouth”).  We’ll kiss this week of words goodbye by noting that another word from a similar source is OSCULATE (literally, “little mouth”), meaning “to kiss; to touch or come into close contact.”

Recapping this week’s words: ONEIRIC, OBELUS, OROLOGY, OCULUS, and OSCITANT

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