rictus

American  

[rik-tuhs] / ˈrɪk təs /

noun

rictus, plural rictuses plural

1. the gape of the mouth of a bird.

2. the gaping or opening of the mouth.

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rictus British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rictal
  adjective
• subrictal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rictus
  plural
• rictuses
  plural

Etymology

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.

Explanation

A rictus is a frozen, fake smile. If the star of a play finds herself overcome by stage fright, she might forget her lines and stand, trembling, her mouth twisted into a rictus. The word rictus most often describes a smile that doesn't convey delight or happiness — instead, it's a kind of horrified, involuntary grin. Your smile might freeze on your face in a rictus during a truly terrifying amusement park ride, or your discomfort as you watch your friend sing badly in a talent show might be reflected in your rictus of a grin. In Latin, rictus means "open mouth," from rict-, or "gaped."

Example Sentences

Also, Keaton meant nobody harm, whereas the Polecats are bent on little else, as are the War Boys, the Bullet Farmer, Rictus Erectus, and Slit—unfriendly types, released from the strange laboratory of Miller’s brain.

From The New Yorker • May 15, 2015

Then various poets and literary people called, Raymond de la Tailhade, Tardieu, Charles Sibleigh, Jehan Rictus, Robert d'Humieres, George Sinclair, and various English people, who gave assumed names, together with two veiled women.

From Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions Volume 2 by Harris, Frank