/ sliːp; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb ( slept , slept / slept; NAmE /)
1.
[ v , often + adv. / prep. ] to rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body not active :
to sleep well / deeply / soundly / badly
I couldn't sleep because of the noise.
I had to sleep on the sofa.
He slept solidly for ten hours.
I slept at my sister's house last night (= stayed the night there) .
We both slept right through (= were not woken up by) the storm.
She only sleeps for four hours a night.
We sometimes sleep late at the weekends (= until late in the morning) .
I put the sleeping baby down gently.
What are our sleeping arrangements here (= where shall we sleep) ?
HELP NOTE : It is more common to say that somebody is asleep than to say that somebody is sleeping . Sleep can only be used in the passive with a preposition such as in or on :
It was clear her bed hadn't been slept in.
2.
[ vn ] [ no passive ] to have enough beds for a particular number of people :
The apartment sleeps six.
The hotel sleeps 120 guests.
•
IDIOMS
- let sleeping dogs lie
- sleep like a log / baby
- sleep tight
—more at rough adverb , wink noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- sleep around
- sleep in
- sleep sth off
- sleep on sth
- sleep over
- sleep together | sleep with sb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is not active, and your mind is not conscious :
I need to get some sleep .
I didn't get much sleep last night.
Can you give me something to help me get to sleep (= start sleeping) ?
Go to sleep —it's late.
He cried out in his sleep .
Anxiety can be caused by lack of sleep .
His talk nearly sent me to sleep (= it was boring) .
Try to go back to sleep .
2.
[ sing. ] a period of sleep :
Did you have a good sleep?
Ros fell into a deep sleep.
I'll feel better after a good night's sleep (= a night when I sleep well) .
3.
[ U ] ( informal ) the substance that sometimes forms in the corners of your eyes after you have been sleeping
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IDIOMS
- be able to do sth in your sleep
- go to sleep
- not lose sleep / lose no sleep over sth
- put sb to sleep
- put sth to sleep
—more at wink noun
••
SYNONYMS
sleep
doze ♦ nap ♦ snooze ♦ slumber ♦ drowse
These words all mean to rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body not active.
sleep
to rest with your eyes shut and your mind and body not active:
Did you sleep well?
•
I couldn't sleep last night.
NOTE
It is more usual to say that sb is asleep than that they are sleeping ; but if you use an adverb to say how they are sleeping, use sleeping :
'What's Ashley doing?' 'Sh! She's asleep.'
•
The baby was sleeping peacefully.
• The baby was asleep peacefully.
doze
to sleep lightly, waking up easily, often when you are not in bed:
He was dozing in front of the TV.
nap
to sleep for a short time, especially during the day.
snooze
( informal ) to sleep lightly for a short time, especially during the day and usually not in bed:
My brother was snoozing on the sofa.
slumber
( literary ) to sleep
drowse
to be sleeping lightly or almost asleep:
My mother was sitting on the porch, drowsing in the sun.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to sleep / doze / snooze / slumber peacefully
to sleep / doze / snooze lightly / gently
to sleep / doze / slumber fitfully
to sleep / slumber deeply / soundly
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English slēp , slǣp (noun), slēpan , slǣpan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch slapen and German schlafen .