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A fit of yawning.

beam; a ray; a glimpse. Transient unexpected gleams of joi. Addison. At last a gleam Of dawning light turned thitherward in haste His [Satan's] traveled steps. Milton. A glimmer, and then a gleam of light. Longfellow.

A covering or protection, as an awning over the deck of a ship when laid up.

The act of pawning or pledging; the state of being pawned. [Obs.] Bailey.

; to produce in, as by inspiration. And generous stout courage did inspire. Spenser. But dawning day new comfort hath inspired. Shak.

A salmon after spawning. [Scot.]

A salmon after spawning.

Obsequious; fawning; cringing. "Knee-crooking knave." Shak.

A rope or line passing through eyelet holes in the edge of a sail or an awning to attach it to a yard, gaff, etc.

eason of waterfalls or dams; -- said of fishes that would naturally seek the sea, after spawning; as, the landlocked salmon.

r, or a long cord, by which a falconer holds his hawk, or a courser his dog. Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash. Shak.

with labor or exertion. The triple porter of the Stygian seat, With lolling tongue, lay fawning at thy feet. Dryden .

Through the whole extent or duration. The bird of dawning singeth all night long. Shak.

a pledge, or pawn. [Obs.] They put all the little plate they had in the lumber, which is pawning it, till the ships came. Lady Murray.

rock. Your swords are now too massy for your strengths, And will not be uplifted. Shak. Yawning rocks in massy fragments fly. Pope.

An obsequious or servile dependent or agent of another; a fawning favorite. Sir J. Davies. Go, rate thy minions, proud, insulting boy! Shak.

al males; -- said of certain fishes of which several males accompany each female during spawning.

Servilely or meanly attentive; compliant to excess; cringing; fawning; as, obsequious flatterer, parasite. There lies ever in "obsequious" at the present the sense of an observance which is overdone, of an unmanly readiness to fall in with the will of another. Trench.

In an obsequious manner; compliantly; fawningly. Dryden.

The act of gaping or yawning.