rictus

[rik-tuhs]

noun

plural

rictus, rictuses 

1. the gape of the mouth of a bird.

2. the gaping or opening of the mouth.

rictus

/ ˈrɪktəs /

noun

1. the gap or cleft of an open mouth or beak

2. a fixed or unnatural grin or grimace, as in horror or death

Other Word Forms

• rictal adjective
• subrictal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rictus¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of rictus¹

C18: from Latin, from ringī to gape

Example Sentences

Zola finishes her speech and grins uncomfortably at the rictus breaking across Stefani’s face and the glowing eyes above it.

Read more on Salon

She then paused five long seconds, her face a rictus of wonderment and concern, allowing the observation and admission — from a sitting member of the United States Senate, no less — to sink in.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Quayle’s stricken look — a rictus of shock and humiliation — spoke to the devastation of the rejoinder after which, it’s fair to say, his callow image never fully faded.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Coverage of his personal appearances focused on his obvious discomfort in meeting with strangers and his fruitless efforts to laugh or even crack a smile, which tended to produce only a hideous facial rictus.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It doesn’t take much for clowns to be creepy — the unnatural colors and rictus grins do the heavy lifting — an effect that’s been exploited by schlock horror for eons.

Read more on New York Times