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Glite Dictionary
contagious yawn

contagious yawn

3.7
A yawn that makes other people yawn too
  • noun
  • /kənˈteɪdʒəs jɔn/
translation icon : bostezo contagioso
  • During the meeting, one contagious yawn set off a chain reaction among the attendees.

Examples

  • The contagious yawn spread through the room.

  • The sound of her contagious yawn quickly spread around the office, making everyone sleepy.

  • Seeing his friend’s contagious yawn, he couldn’t help but yawn as well.

  • Why do people experience a contagious yawn?

  • When one person starts yawning in a meeting, it's common for others to follow suit, demonstrating how contagious yawn can be.

  • The teacher noticed a contagious yawn spreading across the classroom as soon as the clock struck 3 PM.

  • During the long lecture, a single contagious yawn triggered a chain reaction among the students.

Surface Forms

contagious yawn singular
contagious yawns plural

Morphology

contagious + yawn

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'contagious' (capable of being spread) modifies 'yawn' (an involuntary inhalation), so the combined meaning is a yawn that spreads to others. This adjective + noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun contagious yawn comes from the clear image of a yawn that 'spreads' to other people. When one person's yawn makes others yawn too, it is called contagious, so the phrase means 'a yawn that makes others yawn'.