Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A short nap; a light sleep.
  • intransitive verb To take a short nap; doze lightly.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A brief, light sleep.
  • verb intransitive To take a catnap.
  • verb transitive To kidnap a cat.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)
  • verb take a siesta

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Two or three flies buzzed irritably now and then against the smoke-begrimed windowpanes, and the clerk's dreary preamble went on and on till Sir Francis closed his eyes and wondered whether a small "catnap" would be possible between the sections of the seeming interminable document.

    The Treasure of Heaven A Romance of Riches Marie Corelli 1889

  • And so a group of vicious cats "catnap" his faithful bloodhound, and begin to reverse engineer the formula; an evil plot to disrupt the balance away from "man's best friend."

    DVD Verdict 2010

  • The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a preliminary report she had failed to spot the vessel that was only one mile away on her radar and was taking a "catnap" at the time of the collision.

    BusinessWeek.com -- 2010

  • The Quarter was about to curl up and take a catnap—except for Bourbon Street, party jamboree and flesh-fest central, twenty-four/seven, and as wide awake as a lap-dancing tweaker go-juiced to the eyebrows.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • The Quarter was about to curl up and take a catnap—except for Bourbon Street, party jamboree and flesh-fest central, twenty-four/seven, and as wide awake as a lap-dancing tweaker go-juiced to the eyebrows.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • He plopped into a chair opposite the foot of the bed and closed his eyes, hoping a catnap would revive him, hasten the passage of time.

    What Is Life? vic fortezza 2011

  • In my fantasy life, I spend an entire Sunday morning in this sanctuary undisturbed until I finish both my coffee and the paper, and then, in my ultimate dream world, I close my eyes and take a luxurious catnap.

    Left Neglected Lisa Genova 2011

  • The Quarter was about to curl up and take a catnap—except for Bourbon Street, party jamboree and flesh-fest central, twenty-four/seven, and as wide awake as a lap-dancing tweaker go-juiced to the eyebrows.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • He plopped into a chair opposite the foot of the bed and closed his eyes, hoping a catnap would revive him, hasten the passage of time.

    What Is Life? vic fortezza 2011

  • The Quarter was about to curl up and take a catnap—except for Bourbon Street, party jamboree and flesh-fest central, twenty-four/seven, and as wide awake as a lap-dancing tweaker go-juiced to the eyebrows.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

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