| Sleeper | 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 ] |
| Sleeper | 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 ] |
