sleep

sleep1 [ slip ] (past tense and past participle slept [ slept ] ) verb ***

1. ) intransitive to go into a natural state in which you are unconscious for a time and your body rests, especially for several hours at night:

The baby usually sleeps in the afternoon.

sleep well/soundly: I didn't sleep very well last night.

sleep badly: We both slept badly and felt terrible the next day.

a ) sleep rough BRITISH to sleep outside because you do not have anywhere to live

b ) sleep tight SPOKEN used for telling someone, especially a child, that you hope they sleep well

c ) sleep like a baby/log to sleep very well

d ) not sleep a wink to not sleep at all

2. ) transitive never passive to have enough room or beds for a particular number of people to sleep in:

sleeps four/six/etc.: Our house at the beach sleeps six comfortably.

3. ) intransitive MAINLY LITERARY if a place or building sleeps, all the people who live there are sleeping, especially at night:

New York City is sometimes called the city that never sleeps.

let sleeping dogs lie

to leave a person or situation alone if they might cause you trouble:

Don't ask him again. It's better to let sleeping dogs lie.

,sleep a`round phrasal verb intransitive INFORMAL

to have sexual relations with a lot of different people:

Sleeping around increases the risk of catching AIDS.

,sleep a`way phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to sleep in order to stop thinking or worrying about something, or to stop feeling something:

She just wanted to sleep her troubles away.

2. ) to spend a period of time in sleeping:

On weekends, I sometimes sleep away half the morning.

,sleep `in phrasal verb intransitive

to continue sleeping after the time you usually wake up:

The whole family sleeps in on Sundays.

,sleep `off phrasal verb transitive

to get rid of an unpleasant or uncomfortable feeling by sleeping, especially after eating or drinking too much:

The day after the wedding, I'll still be sleeping off the champagne.

`sleep on phrasal verb transitive

sleep on something to wait to make a decision until the next day, after you have rested and had more time to think:

Let me sleep on it and give you an answer tomorrow.

,sleep `over phrasal verb intransitive

to sleep at someone else's house for one night:

Mom, can Billy sleep over on Saturday?

`sleep ,through phrasal verb

1. ) transitive sleep through something to remain sleeping although there is a lot of noise around you:

Did you hear the storm last night? No, I must have slept through it.

2. ) intransitive MAINLY BRITISH to continue sleeping for a long time:

sleep through until/to: I was so tired I slept through until noon.

`sleep to,gether phrasal verb intransitive

if two people sleep together, they have sex, especially when they are not married:

They're not married but I think they're sleeping together.

`sleep with phrasal verb transitive

sleep with someone to have sex with someone, especially someone you are not married to:

Are you sleeping with him?

sleep

sleep 2 [ slip ] noun ***

1. ) uncount a natural state in which you are unconscious for a time and your body rests, especially for several hours at night:

Babies need a lot of sleep.

get to sleep: I can't get to sleep if there's any noise.

I woke up during the storm and couldn't get back to sleep.

without sleep: A night without sleep left him red-eyed and haggard.

get some/much/any sleep: You need to go home and get some sleep.

a ) only before noun relating to sleep:

sleep habits

2. ) uncount a substance that forms in the corner of your eyes when you are sleeping

3. ) singular a period of time when you are sleeping:

Karen woke up from a long sleep and rubbed her eyes.

a good night's sleep: I haven't had a good night's sleep for over a week.

a deep/light sleep (=one that is difficult to wake up from): She lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep.

can do something in your sleep

to be able to do something so easily that you do not need to think about it, especially because you have done it so many times before:

I've driven there so many times, I could do it in my sleep.

go to sleep

1. ) to begin sleeping:

What time do the kids usually go to sleep?

2. ) INFORMAL if a part of your body goes to sleep, you cannot feel it for a short time because it has not been getting enough blood:

My foot's gone to sleep.

in your sleep

while you are sleeping:

You were talking in your sleep last night.

put/send someone to sleep

1. ) to cause someone to begin sleeping:

The motion of the car put me to sleep.

Listening to him talk about economics would send anyone to sleep.

2. ) to give someone a drug that makes them unconscious for a medical operation

put something to sleep

to give an animal drugs so that it dies quickly without feeling any pain:

Poor old Spot had to be put to sleep.

=> LOSE, WINK 2