________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ric·tus ˈriktəs/ noun noun: rictus; plural noun: rictuses a fixed grimace or grin. "Ned's smile had become a rictus of repulsion" Origin: early 19th century: from Latin, literally ‘open mouth,’ from rict- ‘gaped,’ from the verb ringi . 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...