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rictus

[ rik-tuhs ]
/ ˈrɪk təs /

noun, plural ric·tus, ric·tus·es.

the gape of the mouth of a bird.
the gaping or opening of the mouth.

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Origin of rictus

1750–60; <Latin: wide-open mouth, equivalent to rig-, variant stem of ringī to open the mouth wide + -tus suffix of v. action.

OTHER WORDS FROM rictus

rictal, adjectivesub·ric·tal, adjective

Words nearby rictus

ricochet, Ricoeur, ricotta, RICS, rictal bristle, rictus, rid, ridable, Ridaura, riddance, ridden
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for rictus

British Dictionary definitions for rictus

rictus
/ (ˈrɪktəs) /

noun plural -tus or -tuses

the gap or cleft of an open mouth or beak
a fixed or unnatural grin or grimace, as in horror or death

Derived forms of rictus

rictal, adjective

Word Origin for rictus

C18: from Latin, from ringī to gape
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012