Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The taking of rest in sleep; sleep; the state of one who sleeps; hence, lack of vigilance; remissness.
  • noun Inoperativeness; dormant state or condition; abeyance.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • a. & n. from sleep.
  • a railway car or carrriage, arranged with apartments and berths for sleeping.
  • (Com.) a dormant partner. See under Dormant.
  • (Mining) a stationary inclined platform on which pulverized ore is washed; a kind of buddle.

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

  • verb Present participle of sleep.
  • adjective asleep
  • adjective used for sleep; used to produce sleep.
  • noun the state or act of being asleep.

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

  • noun the state of being asleep
  • noun quiet and inactive restfulness
  • noun the suspension of consciousness and decrease in metabolic rate
  • adjective lying with head on paws as if sleeping

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • I must draw the conclusion that _throughout our entire sleeping state we are just as certain that we are dreaming as we are certain that we are sleeping_.

    Dream Psychology Psychoanalysis for Beginners Sigmund Freud 1897

  • His conversation continually runs upon the feasibility of our making a night attack for'ard, and he is perpetually questioning Tom Spink and Louis on their ideas of where the various men may be sleeping -- the point of which always is: _Where is the second mate likely to be sleeping_?

    The Mutiny of the Elsinore Jack London 1896

  • The term "sleeping with the enemy" may take on new meaning on the upcoming season of "Survivor: One World."

    NYDN Rss JOYCE CHEN 2012

  • MUMBAI Reuters - The term 'sleeping giant' is often used to describe Indian soccer and its massive potential talent pool, but national team coach Armando Colaco thinks officials have to wake up to the problems at grassroots level if India are to ever play in the World Cup finals.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • "I love being a father but whoever came up with the phrase 'sleeping like a baby' definitely never had a baby," he jokes, ruefully.

    WalesOnline - Home 2011

  • My wife and I have for many years observed what we call the sleeping giant of Christian higher education where scholars have quietly devoted themselves to equip their own minds and prepare students in real world studies of the sciences and humanities, classical and modern because their evangelical churches gave them nothing else to do.

    The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind - revisited after 15 years 2009

  • My wife and I have for many years observed what we call the sleeping giant of Christian higher education where scholars have quietly devoted themselves to equip their own minds and prepare students in real world studies of the sciences and humanities, classical and modern because their evangelical churches gave them nothing else to do.

    The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind - revisited after 15 years 2009

  • Soon, soft warm little rain drops began to fall on the chrysalis (for that is what we call the sleeping caterpillar), whispering: "Spring is coming and it's time to awake!"

    All About Johnnie Jones Carolyn Verhoeff

  • They could hardly sew their own clothes; indeed, the greater part of their time was spent in sleeping, which is a mode many women adopt of arriving at the degree of embonpoint thought becoming.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

  • In Washington D.C., the National Park Service gave Occupy protesters a Monday deadline to end what it called "sleeping activity" at two longstanding camps established by demonstrators in the nation's capital.

    CNN.com 2012

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