Etymology : Middle English slepe, from Old English sl[AE]p; akin to Old High German slAf sleep and perhaps to Latin labi to slip, slide
Pronunciation : slEp
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. unconscious state entered into by the body for the purpose of rest and rejuvenation (in humans and animals); period of rest; inactive state; repose of death; closing of leaves and petals at night. be in a state of sleep, fall asleep, slumber; enter into or be in a state that resembles sleep; be inattentive, be inactive; accommodate, provide with a place to sleep; be in the repose of death.
2. to ignore.
3. to be unaware or unprepared. You can creep up on someone while they are "sleeping " (even if they are awake). sleep\sleep\, v. t.
4. to be slumbering in; -- followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep.
5. to give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge. [r.] mag.
6. imp. of Sleep.
7. Slept.
8. To take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind, and an apathy of the organs of sense; to slumber.
9. To be careless, inattentive, or uncouncerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.
10. To be dead; to lie in the grave.
11. To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant; as, a question sleeps for the present; the law sleeps.
12. To be slumbering in; followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep.
13. To give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge.
14. A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended; "he didn't get enough sleep last night"; "calm as a child in dreamless slumber" a torpid state resembling sleep a period of time spent sleeping; "he felt better after a little sleep"; "there wasn't time for a nap" be asleep be able to accommodate for sleeping; "This tent sleeps six people".
15. 1. Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind does not think. They were exhausted from lack of sleep Try and get some sleep Be quiet and go to sleep Often he would have bad dreams and cry out in his sleep.
16. When you sleep, you rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body inactive. During the car journey, the baby slept a pool surrounded by sleeping sunbathers.
17. A sleep is a period of sleeping. I think he may be ready for a sleep soon.
18. If a building or room sleeps a particular number of people, it has beds for that number of people. The villa sleeps 10 and costs £530 per person for two weeks. see also:
sleeping.
19. If you cannot get to sleep, you are unable to sleep. I can't get to sleep with all that singing.
20. If you say that you didn't lose any sleep over something, you mean that you did not worry about it at all. I didn't lose too much sleep over that investigation.
21. If you are trying to make a decision and you say that you will sleep on it, you mean that you will delay making a decision on it until the following day, so you have time to think about it.
22. If a sick or injured animal is put to sleep, it is killed by a vet in a way that does not cause it pain. I'm going take the dog down to the vet's and have her put to sleep. = put down.
23. to sleep rough: see:
rough. Natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored. Humans normally sleep at night, whereas nocturnal species sleep during the day. The average human sleep requirement is about 7.5 hours. Sleep is divided into two main types, REM (rapid-eye-movement) and NREM (non-REM); each recurs cyclically several times during a normal period of sleep. REM sleep is characterized by increased neuronal activity of the forebrain and midbrain, by depressed muscle tone, and by dreaming (see:
dream), rapid eye movements, and vascular congestion of the sex organs. NREM sleep is divided into four stages, the last of which is the deep, restorative, quiet sleep commonly associated with "a good night's rest." See also insomnia, narcolepsy.