Rictus
/ˈrɪk.təs/noun
A fixed grimace or gaping, open-mouthed expression, especially one of pain or horror.
Did you know?Latin rictus was used for a wide-open mouth or gaping jaw, and it likely comes from the same root as words for ‘to open wide’ and ‘to gnaw,’ giving the word a raw, bodily force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reik-
“to stretch, open wide, or tear”
Latin
Latin
rictus
“a gaping mouth; an open jaw”
Late Latin
Latin
rictus
“a gaping mouth, grimace, or fixed open expression”
17th Century
English
rictus
“a gaping mouth or grimace”
Modern English
English
rictus
“a fixed grimace, especially one of pain, fear, or death”