— sleepful , adj. — sleeplike , adj.
/sleep/ , v. , slept, sleeping , n.
v.i.
1. to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness; cease being awake.
2. Bot. to assume, esp. at night, a state similar to the sleep of animals, marked by closing of petals, leaves, etc.
3. to be dormant, quiescent, or inactive, as faculties.
4. to be careless or unalert; allow one's alertness, vigilance, or attentiveness to lie dormant: While England slept, Germany prepared for war.
5. to lie in death: They are sleeping in their tombs.
v.t.
6. to take rest in (a specified kind of sleep): He slept the sleep of the innocent.
7. to accommodate for sleeping; have sleeping accommodations for: This trailer sleeps three people.
8. to spend or pass in sleep (usually fol. by away or out ): to sleep the day away.
9. to recover from the effects of (a headache, hangover, etc.) by sleeping (usually fol. by off or away ).
10. sleep around , Informal. to have sexual relations with many partners, esp. in a casual way; be sexually promiscuous.
11. sleep in ,
a. (esp. of domestic help) to sleep where one is employed.
b. to sleep beyond one's usual time of arising.
12. sleep on , to postpone making a decision about for at least a day: to sleep on a proposal till the end of the week.
13. sleep out ,
a. (esp. of domestic help) to sleep away from one's place of employment.
b. Chiefly Northern U.S. to sleep away from one's home.
c. to sleep outdoors.
14. sleep over , to spend one or more nights in a place other than one's own home: Two friends will sleep over this weekend.
15. sleep together , to be sexual partners; have a sexual relationship.
16. sleep with , to have sexual relations with.
n.
17. the state of a person, animal, or plant that sleeps.
18. a period of sleeping: a brief sleep.
19. dormancy or inactivity.
20. the repose of death.
21. sleeper (def. 10).
22. put to sleep, to put (an animal) to death in a humane way: to put a sick old dog to sleep.
[ bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE slep (Anglian), slaep, slap; c. D slaap, G Schlaf, Goth sleps; (v.) ME slepen, OE slepan, slaepan, slapan, c. OS slapan, Goth slepan ]
Syn. 1. slumber, nap, drowse, doze. 17. rest, repose. 18. nap.