oscitate

O1S1C3I1T1A1T1E1

verb

To gape or yawn.

OriginLatin ōscitātus →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

verboscitate (third-person singular simple present oscitates, present participle oscitating, simple past and past participle oscitated)

present singular third person oscitates · participle present oscitating · participle past oscitated · past oscitated

  1. archaicTo gape or yawn.

Origin

  1. Latinōscitātus
  2. Englishoscitate

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin ōscitātus, perfect passive participle of ōscitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōs (“the mouth”) + citō (“to cause to move”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

oscitate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oscitate

MLA

“oscitate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oscitate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oscitate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oscitate.

Source: oscitate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.