Word of the Day

Tuesday March 09, 2010

pandiculation [pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn]

noun

Yawning and stretching, as when first waking up.

Even today, Pratt displays strong elements of that musical and intellectual wanderlust, combined with gripping intensity, a wide streak of idealism and a sometimes wild sense of humor. His constantly changing answering-machine message has featured recitations on the pre-sleep state of "pandiculation" and sportscast-style accounts of the recent Short-Kasparov chess match.

Peter Goodman, "PIANO FORTE THE PIANIST FROM CENTRAL CASTING HE'S NOT", Newsday, Jan 9, 1994
"If I were a visitor from another planet ... I think that of all the earthlings' quirks it is the act of pandiculation that would surprise and fascinate me most."

Peter Kemp, "Bewitched, baroque and bewildering", The Times, Apr 11, 1993
Combined with his studies of primates, his research showed that yawning or pandiculation as it is scientifically known is not what we thought it was. Previous researchers concluded yawning was meant to keep the tonsils infection-free, or help increase alertness and clean out the lungs while getting more oxygen to the brain.

Susie Boniface, "The yawn of time Ancient signal nothing to do with tiredness", Daily Mail, Dec 4, 2000

Origin of the Word

Pandiculation approximately 1600, derives from French pandiculation, from Latin pandiculatus ,past participle of pandiculari "to stretch oneself" and French suffix -ion.