Pandiculate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To stretch the body and yawn, typically upon waking or before sleep
2. To extend the limbs and muscles while yawning, as if loosening them after rest
3. To yawn while simultaneously stretching the arms, legs, and torso in a leisurely manner

Etymology: "Pandiculate" is a verb meaning to stretch oneself, the way people do on waking or when tired, and it comes from Latin "pandiculari," a verb built on the same stretching idea. The English word is borrowed from the Latin "pandiculātus," the form of that verb that English took over whole, so the modern verb preserves the Latin stem rather than arriving through French. The Latin verb "pandiculari" is itself a compound of "pandere," meaning to spread out or extend, with a frequentative-style ending that intensifies the sense of stretching. Its literal meaning is simply to stretch out, which the English verb keeps almost unchanged. Because the word is a learned borrowing, its shape is recognisably Latin, and anyone who knows "expand" or "pandect" can see the same root at work.

Synonyms: stretch, yawn