sleep

v. t. 1. To be slumbering in; -- followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge. [ R. ] Blackw. Mag. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sleep away, to spend in sleep; as, to sleep away precious time. --
To sleep off, to become free from by sleep; as, to sleep off drunkeness or fatigue. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Slept p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeping. ] [ OE. slepen, AS. sl&unr_;pan; akin to OFries. sl&unr_;pa, OS. slāpan, D. slapen, OHG. slāfan, G. schlafen, Goth. sl&unr_;pan, and G. schlaff slack, loose, and L. labi to glide, slide, labare to totter. Cf. Lapse. ] 1. 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. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Watching at the head of these that sleep. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Figuratively: (a) To be careless, inattentive, or uncouncerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly. [ 1913 Webster ]

We sleep over our happiness. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) To be dead; to lie in the grave. [ 1913 Webster ]

Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thess. iv. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

How sweet the moonlight sleep upon this bank! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. imp. of Sleep. Slept. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A plant (Tragopogon pratensis) which closes its flowers at midday; a kind of goat's beard. Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Heavy with sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who sleeps; a slumberer; hence, a drone, or lazy person. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which lies dormant, as a law. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sleeping car. [ Colloq. U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) An animal that hibernates, as the bear. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Zool.) (a) A large fresh-water gobioid fish (Eleotris dormatrix). (b) A nurse shark. See under Nurse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Norw. sleip a sleeper (a timber), as adj., slippery, smooth. See Slape. ] Something lying in a reclining posture or position. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) One of the pieces of timber, stone, or iron, on or near the level of the ground, for the support of some superstructure, to steady framework, to keep in place the rails of a railway, etc.; a stringpiece. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) One of the joists, or roughly shaped timbers, laid directly upon the ground, to receive the flooring of the ground story. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) (Naut.) One of the knees which connect the transoms to the after timbers on the ship's quarter. [ 1913 Webster ]

(d) (Naut.) The lowest, or bottom, tier of casks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Strongly inclined to sleep; very sleepy. -- Sleep"ful*ness, n. [1913 Webster]