"sleep" definition, meaning, and origin

Noun

The state of reduced consciousness during which a human or animal rests in a daily rhythm.
- I really need some sleep.
- We need to conduct an overnight sleep test to diagnose your sleep problem.
An act or instance of sleeping.
- I’m just going to have a quick sleep.
- a sound night’s sleep
A night.
- There are only three sleeps till Christmas!
Rheum, crusty or gummy discharge found in the corner of the eyes after waking, whether real or a figurative objectification of sleep (in the sense of reduced consciousness).
- When she had rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and wept till she was tired, she set out on her way and walked for many, many a day, till she at last came to a big mountain. - 1886, Peter Christen Asbjø￵rnsen, translated...
- But it rings And we rise, Wipe the sleep out of our eyes[…] - 1980, “Daydream Believer”performed by Anne Murray:
- [...] and draw the medial canthus (aka medial commissure) at the medial extreme. Now draw the lacrimal caruncle at the medial corner of the eye, which produces whitish, oily fluid—it produces “sleep in the eye.” - 2017,...
A state of plants, usually at night, when their leaflets approach each other and the flowers close and droop, or are covered by the folded leaves.
- The daily sleep of plants, and their winter sleep, present in this respect exactly similar phenomena[…] - 1843, Joh Müller, John Bell, Elements of Physiology, page 808:
Synonyms: nyctinasty nyctitropism
The hibernation of animals.

Origin

From Middle English slepe, sleep, sleepe, from Old English slǣp (“sleep”), from Proto-West Germanic *slāp, from Proto-Germanic *slēpaz (“sleep”). Cognates Cognate with Yola slepe (“sleep”), Saterland Frisian Släip (“sleep”), West Frisian sliep (“sleep”), Dutch slaap (“sleep”), German Schlaf (“sleep”), Luxembourgish Schlof (“sleep”), Vilamovian šłȫf, śłöf (“sleep”), Yiddish שלאָף (shlof, “sleep”), Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌴𐍀𐍃 (slēps, “sleep”).

Verb

To rest in a state of reduced consciousness.
- You should sleep eight hours a day.
- We sleep in the bedroom. - 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
To have sexual intercourse (see sleep with).
- Last night we slept together for the first time.
To accommodate in beds.
- This caravan can sleep four people comfortably.
- Huge red tents erected around our small yellow one. Huge red tents that could sleep 8 and instead sleep 2. Lawn furniture is scattered about, duffle bags arrive, the clatter of pots and pans. - 1982 February 13, Lee...
To be careless, inattentive, or unconcerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.
- We ſleep over our Happineſs, Great as it is, and want to be rous'd into a quick and thankful ſenſe of it, either by an actual Change of Circumſtances, or by a Compariſon of our Own caſe with that of other Men. - 1706...
- Huge red tents erected around our small yellow one. Huge red tents that could sleep 8 and instead sleep 2. Lawn furniture is scattered about, duffle bags arrive, the clatter of pots and pans. - 1982 February 13, Lee...
To be dead.
- For if we beleeue that Ieſus died, and roſe againe: euen ſo them alſo which ſleepe in Ieſus, will God bring with him. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1...
- It was that of a man in advanced life, with a long grizzled beard, and also robed in white, probably the husband of the lady, who, after surviving her many years, came at the last to sleep once more for good and all...
- Then bury me beneath the willow Beneath the weeping willow tree And when he knows that I am sleeping Perhaps he will weep for me - b. 1909, traditional, “Under The Willow Tree”:
To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant.
- a question sleeps for the present; the law sleeps
- How ſweet the moone-light ſleepes vpon this banke,[…] - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:...
To wait for a period of time without performing any action.
- After a failed connection attempt, the program sleeps for 5 seconds before trying again.
To place into a state of hibernation.
- Even when you have reasons not to sleep the computer, it's still a good idea to sleep the display after a period of time. - 2009, Mike Lee, Scott Meyers, Learn Mac OS X Snow Leopard, page 91:
To spin on its axis with no other perceptible motion.
- When a top is sleeping, it is spinning but not precessing.
- A top sleeps when it moves with such velocity, and spins so smoothly, that its motion is imperceptible. - 1854, Anne E. Baker, Glossary of Northamptonshire Words and Phrases:
To cause (a spinning top or yo-yo) to spin on its axis with no other perceptible motion.
- Yo-yo tricks involving sleeping the yo-yo (like "walking the dog" and "rocking the baby") cannot be performed in space. - 1995, All Aboard for Space: Introducing Space to Youngsters, page 158:

Origin

From Middle English slepen, from Anglian Old English slēpan (West Saxon Old English slǣpan), from Proto-West Germanic *slāpan, from Proto-Germanic *slēpaną (“to sleep”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian sleepe, sliap, sliip, släipe (“to sleep”), Saterland Frisian släipe (“to sleep”), West Frisian sliepe (“to sleep”), Alemannic German schlaaffe, schlaafä, schlafe, schloafe, schloafen, schlofe, schlàfu (“to sleep”), Bavarian schlofn, schlåfn, sghlofn (“to sleep”), Central Franconian schlofe (“to sleep”), Cimbrian slaafan, slafan, slavan (“to sleep”), Dutch and Low German slapen (“to sleep”), German schlafen (“to sleep”), Limburgish schloëpe, slaope (“to sleep”), Luxembourgish schlofen (“to sleep”), Mòcheno schloven (“to sleep”), Vilamovian šłȫfa, śłöfa (“to sleep”), Yiddish שלאָפֿן (shlofn, “to sleep”), Crimean Gothic schlipen (“to sleep”), Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌴𐍀𐌰𐌽 (slēpan, “to sleep”).