Sleep Definition

slēp

sleeping, sleeps, slept

noun

sleeps

A natural, regularly recurring condition of rest for the body and mind, during which the eyes are usually closed and there is little or no conscious thought or voluntary movement, but there is intermittent dreaming.

Webster's New World

A period of this form of rest.

American Heritage

A spell of sleeping.

Webster's New World

Any state of inactivity thought of as like sleep, as death, unconsciousness, hibernation, etc.

Webster's New World

A state in which a computer shuts off or reduces power to its peripherals (such as the display or memory) in order to save energy during periods of inactivity.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

sleeping, sleeps, slept

To be in the state of sleep; slumber.

Webster's New World

To slumber in (a specified kind of sleep)

To sleep the sleep of the just.

Webster's New World

To be in a state of inactivity like sleep, as that of death, quiescence, hibernation, inattention, etc.

Webster's New World

To provide sleeping accommodations for.

A boat that sleeps four.

Webster's New World

To pass or get rid of by sleeping.

Slept away the day; went home to sleep off the headache.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
waken
wake
awaken

idiom

sleep like a log

To sleep very deeply.

American Heritage

put to sleep

to make (someone) weary and bored to, or as if to, the point of inducing sleep
to put (a pet) to death in a humane manner

Webster's New World

sleep around

to have promiscuous sexual relations

Webster's New World

sleep away

to spend in sleeping; sleep during
to get rid of by sleeping

Webster's New World

sleep in

to sleep at the place where one is employed as a household servant
to sleep much later into the morning than one usually does

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Sleep

Noun

Singular:

sleep

Plural:

sleeps

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Sleep

Origin of Sleep

From Middle English slepen, from Old English slÇ£pan (“to sleep"), from Proto-Germanic *slÄ“panÄ… (“to sleep"), from Proto-Indo-European *slab-, *slap-, *(s)lÁb- (“to hang loose, be limp"). Cognate with West Frisian sliepe (“to sleep"), North Frisian sliepen (“to sleep"), Low German slapen (“sleep"), Dutch slapen (“to sleep"), German schlafen (“to sleep"), Russian слабый (slábyj, “weak").

From Wiktionary
From Middle English sleep, sleepe, from Old English slÇ£p (“sleep"), from Proto-Germanic *slÄ“paz (“sleep"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lāb- (“to hang loosely, be limp, be languid"). Cognate with West Frisian sliep (“sleep"), Saterland Frisian släipe (“sleep"), Low German Slaap (“sleep"), Dutch slaap (“sleep"), German Schlaf (“sleep"), Russian слабый (slábyj, “weak").

From Wiktionary
Middle English slepe from Old English slǣp slēb- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition