Sleep | Mean of sleep in English Dictionary

/ˈsliːp/

• Verb
• to rest your mind and body by closing your eyes and becoming unconscious
1. I couldn't sleep last night. I was awake all night long.
2. I usually try to sleep for at least eight hours every night.
3. Did you sleep soundly/well last night?
4. I slept badly/poorly.
5. We were sleeping peacefully when a sudden loud noise woke us up.
6. I can never sleep on airplanes.
7. He has trouble sleeping. [=finds it difficult to fall asleep]
8. New York is the city that never sleeps. [=a city that is full of activity all night]
• to have enough space for (a specified number of people) to sleep in it
1. The tent sleeps five adults.
• to have sex with many different people
1. I heard he sleeps around.

• to spend (a period of time) sleeping
1. Don't sleep your day away.
• to sleep for even a very brief time
1. I didn't/couldn't sleep a wink [=didn't/couldn't sleep at all] last night.
• to sleep past the time when you usually get up
1. On Sundays, we always sleep in.
• to sleep very well
1. After a long day of skiing, I slept like a baby/log last night.
• to sleep until the effects of alcohol, medication, etc., are no longer felt
1. She was sleeping off the anesthesia.
2. He had too much to drink, and I'm letting him sleep it off.
• to think more about something overnight and make a decision about it later
1. You've heard my offer. Why don't you sleep on it and let me know what you decide.
• to stay overnight at another person's house
1. My mother said that you could sleep over on Saturday.
• to sleep without being awakened by (something, such as a loud noise)
1. She slept (right) through the thunderstorm.
• to sleep deeply and well
1. Good night. Sleep tight.
• to have sex with each other
1. She found out that her husband and his secretary were sleeping together.
• to have sex with (someone)
1. She found out that her husband was sleeping with his secretary.
• Noun
• the natural state of rest during which your eyes are closed and you become unconscious
1. I just need to get some sleep.
2. How much sleep did you get last night?
3. He was diagnosed with a sleep disorder. [=a medical problem that prevents him from sleeping normally]
4. Her roommate talks/walks in her sleep.
5. The baby cried himself to sleep. [=cried until he fell asleep]
6. She sang the baby to sleep. [=she sang to the baby until it fell asleep]
• a period of sleep especially of a particular kind
1. The noise woke her from a deep/light sleep.
2. Sometimes all you need to feel better is a good night's sleep. [=a full night of sleep]
3. (Brit) I think I'll go to my bedroom and have a sleep.
• the dry substance that sometimes forms in the corners of your eyes while you are sleeping
1. He woke up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
• to succeed in beginning to sleep
1. It took me almost an hour to get to sleep last night.
2. I woke up in the middle of the night, but I eventually got back to sleep. [=started sleeping again]
• to begin sleeping
1. She lay down on the couch and went (right) to sleep.
2. Tell the kids it's time to go to sleep. [=go to bed]
3. After the party, I just wanted to go to sleep.
• to worry about (something) so much that you cannot sleep
1. I'm disappointed about their decision, but I'm not losing any sleep over it.
2. I wouldn't lose sleep over it if I were you.
• to give (a sick or injured animal) drugs that will make it die without pain
1. We had to put my cat to sleep last week.
• to use a drug to make (someone) unconscious before a medical operation
1. The doctor put the patient to sleep.
• to get (someone) ready to sleep for the night
1. Did you put the kids to sleep? [=did you put the kids to bed?]
• to make someone fall asleep from boredom
1. That movie practically put me to sleep.
2. Her lectures used to put him to sleep.