rictus
the gape of the mouth of a bird.
the gaping or opening of the mouth.
Origin of rictus
1Other words from rictus
- rictal, adjective
- sub·ric·tal, adjective
Words Nearby rictus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rictus in a sentence
The lovely lips twisted into a rictus sneer, frightening on that smooth young face, until she got them under control.
The Tunnel Under The World | Frederik PohlThen his mouth twisted in a rictus of dreadful mirth, so wrung was he with pain, yet so overcome by what he had seen.
The Terms of Surrender | Louis TracyVargus grinned suddenly, a momentary rictus that came and went, utterly horrible.
The Air Pirate | Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gullrictus ampli, ad mandibul superioris basin vibrissis rigidis armati.
Zoological Illustrations, Volume II | William SwainsonHe lay back on the pillows again, with a smile that was twisted into a rictus of agony as a twinge wrung the injured limb.
The House 'Round the Corner | Gordon Holmes
British Dictionary definitions for rictus
/ (ˈrɪktəs) /
the gap or cleft of an open mouth or beak
a fixed or unnatural grin or grimace, as in horror or death
Origin of rictus
1Derived forms of rictus
- rictal, adjective
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
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