Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

oscĭto, āre, v. n., and oscĭtor, āri, v. dep. (inf. oscitarier, Turp. ap. Non. 322, 18; or Com. Rel. v. 15 Rib.) [oscieo], to open the mouth wide, to gape.

  1. I. Of plants, to open, unclose: oscitat in campis caput a cervice revulsum, of the plant lion’s-mouth, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 10, 396; cf. Col. 10, 260; and: (arborum) folia cotidie ad solem oscitant, turn towards the sun, Plin. 16, 24, 36, § 88.
  2. II. Of living beings, to gape, yawn: ut pandiculans oscitatur, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 80; * Lucr. 3, 1065: clare ac sonore oscitavit, Gell. 4, 20, 8.
    With acc.: quid adhuc oscitamus crapulam hesternam, August. Ver. Rel. 3.
    1. B. Trop., to be listless, drowsy, inactive (cf.: dormio. sterto): cum majores (calamitates) impendere videantur, sedetis et oscitamini, i. e. are listless, idle, negligent, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48; cf. the foll.
      Hence, oscĭtans, antis, P. a., listless, sluggish, lazy, negligent (class.): interea oscitantes opprimi, Ter. And. 1, 2, 10: quae Epicurus oscitans allucinatus est, qs. half asleep, Cic. N. D. 1, 26, 72.
      Of abstract things: oscitans et dormitans sapientia, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 144.
      * Adv.: oscĭtanter, carelessly, negligently: quod ille tam solute egisset, tam leniter, tam oscitanter, Cic. Brut. 80, 277.