to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness; cease being awake.
Botany. to assume, especially at night, a state similar to the sleep of animals, marked by closing of petals, leaves, etc.
to be dormant, quiescent, or inactive, as faculties.
to be careless or unalert; allow one's alertness, vigilance, or attentiveness to lie dormant: While England slept, Germany prepared for war.
to lie in death: They are sleeping in their tombs.
verb (used with object),slept,sleep·ing.
to take rest in (a specified kind of sleep): He slept the sleep of the innocent.
to accommodate for sleeping; have sleeping accommodations for: This trailer sleeps three people.
to spend or pass in sleep (usually followed by away or out): to sleep the day away.
to recover from the effects of (a headache, hangover, etc.) by sleeping (usually followed by off or away).
noun
the state of a person, animal, or plant that sleeps.
a period of sleeping: a brief sleep.
dormancy or inactivity.
the repose of death.
sleeper (def. 10).
Verb Phrases
sleep around,Informal. to have sexual relations with many partners, especially in a casual way; be sexually promiscuous.
sleep in,
(especially of domestic help) to sleep where one is employed.
to sleep beyond one's usual time of arising.
sleep on,to postpone making a decision about for at least a day: to sleep on a proposal till the end of the week.
sleep out,
(especially of domestic help) to sleep away from one's place of employment.
Chiefly Northern U.S.to sleep away from one's home.
to sleep outdoors.
sleep over,to spend one or more nights in a place other than one's own home: Two friends will sleep over this weekend.
sleep together,to be sexual partners; have a sexual relationship.
sleep with,to have sexual relations with.
Idioms for sleep
put to sleep, to put (an animal) to death in a humane way: to put a sick old dog to sleep.
Origin of sleep
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English slēp (Anglian), slǣp, slāp; cognate with Dutch slaap,German Schlaf,Gothic slēps; (v.) Middle English slepen,Old English slēpan, slǣpan, slāpan, cognate with Old Saxon slāpan,Gothic slēpan
SYNONYMS FOR sleep
1 slumber, nap, drowse, doze.
10 rest, repose.
11 nap.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sleep ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM sleep
sleepful,adjectivesleeplike,adjectivean·ti·sleep,adjectiveun·der·sleep,verb (used without object),un·der·slept,un·der·sleep·ing.
Words nearby sleep
sledge, sledgehammer, sleek, sleekit, sleeky, sleep, sleep apnea, sleep apnoea, sleep around, sleep-away, sleep a wink, not
The team implemented training, nutrition, recovery, and sleep strategies based on where each player was in their cycle.
Everything You Need to Know About Period Tracking|Christine Yu|September 6, 2020|Outside Online
From pretty much the second or third day until then, so almost 1,000 miles, I had been plagued by shin splints, and ended up walking 20-hour days and getting two or three hours of sleep.
Inside an FKT Attempt on the Appalachian Trail|Martin Fritz Huber|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
Lee would stay up late, unable to sleep from the pains he had in his back.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On some Sundays he came to church with only two hours of sleep.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Detainees there were subject to sleep deprivation, shackled to bars with their hands above their heads.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon|Tim Mak|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Studies have shown that getting eight hours of sleep is paramount to achieving high performance.
Nothing Says I Love You Like Data|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And since she was so tired, she wanted to lay down and sleep.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tobias had seemed impressed, and promised his answer in the morning, leaving her to sleep—with a sentry at her cabin door.
Pieces of Eight|Richard le Gallienne
Jack took off his clothes quickly, but though he was weary he could not go to sleep.
The Blue Fairy Book|Various
The hotel being quite full of visitors, two of our party had to sleep in the parlour on sofas of the horse-hair order.
Reminiscences of Travel in Australia, America, and Egypt|Richard Tangye
Frye was caught in a trap of his own setting and could not sleep nights.
Uncle Terry|Charles Clark Munn
After a light dinner I lay down on my bed, but it was too close and hot to sleep.
Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier|James Inglis
British Dictionary definitions for sleep
sleep
/ (sliːp) /
noun
a periodic state of physiological rest during which consciousness is suspended and metabolic rate is decreasedSee also paradoxical sleep
botany the nontechnical name for nyctitropism
a period spent sleeping
a state of quiescence or dormancy
a poetic or euphemistic word for death
informalthe dried mucoid particles often found in the corners of the eyes after sleeping
verbsleeps, sleepingorslept
(intr)to be in or as in the state of sleep
(intr)(of plants) to show nyctitropism
(intr)to be inactive or quiescent
(tr)to have sleeping accommodation for (a certain number)the boat could sleep six
(tr foll by away) to pass (time) sleeping
(intr)to fail to pay attention
(intr)poetic, oreuphemisticto be dead
sleep on itto give (something) extended consideration, esp overnight
See also sleep around, sleep in, sleep off, sleep out, sleep through, sleep with
Word Origin for sleep
Old English slǣpan; related to Old Frisian slēpa, Old Saxon slāpan, Old High German slāfan, German schlaff limp
A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. During sleep the brain in humans and other mammals undergoes a characteristic cycle of brain-wave activity that includes intervals of dreaming.
A natural, reversible state of rest in most vertebrate animals, occurring at regular intervals and necessary for the maintenance of health. During sleep, the eyes usually close, the muscles relax, and responsiveness to external stimuli decreases. Growth and repair of the tissues of the body are thought to occur, and energy is conserved and stored. In humans and certain other animals, sleep occurs in five stages, the first four consisting of non-REM sleep and the last stage consisting of REM sleep. These stages constitute a sleep cycle that repeats itself about five times during a normal episode of sleep. Each cycle is longer that the one preceding it because the length of the REM stage increases with every cycle until waking occurs. Stage I is characterized by drowsiness, Stage II by light sleep, and Stages III and IV by deep sleep. Stages II and III repeat themselves before REM sleep (Stage V), which occurs about 90 minutes after the onset of sleep. During REM sleep, dreams occur, and memory is thought to be organized. In the stages of non-REM sleep, there are no dreams, and brain activity decreases while the body recovers from wakeful activity. The amount and periodicity of sleep in humans vary with age, with infants sleeping frequently for shorter periods, and mature adults sleeping for longer uninterrupted periods. See also non-REM sleepREM sleep.