a. & adv. [ Pref. a- + sleep. ] 1. In a state of sleep; in sleep; dormant. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fast asleep the giant lay supine. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

By whispering winds soon lulled asleep. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the sleep of the grave; dead. [ 1913 Webster ]

Concerning them which are asleep . . . sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1 Thess. iv. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Numbed, and, usually, tingling. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leaning long upon any part maketh it numb, and, as we call it, asleep. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Pretended sleep. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) The fitful naps taken when all hands are kept up by stress. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To exceed in sleeping. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To sleep beyond; as, to oversleep one's self or one's usual hour of rising. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To sleep too long. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

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 ]

n. [ AS. sl&aemacr_;p; akin to OFries. slēp, OS. slāp, D. slaap, OHG. slāf, G. schlaf, Goth. slēps. See Sleep, v. i. ] A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. “A man that waketh of his sleep.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

O sleep, thou ape of death. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Sleep is attended by a relaxation of the muscles, and the absence of voluntary activity for any rational objects or purpose. The pulse is slower, the respiratory movements fewer in number but more profound, and there is less blood in the cerebral vessels. It is susceptible of greater or less intensity or completeness in its control of the powers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sleep of plants (Bot.), 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Slumber; repose; rest; nap; doze; drowse. [ 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]

adv. In a sleepy manner; drowsily. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being sleepy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sleeping car, a railway car or carrriage, arranged with apartments and berths for sleeping. --
Sleeping partner (Com.), a dormant partner. See under Dormant. --
Sleeping table (Mining), a stationary inclined platform on which pulverized ore is washed; a kind of buddle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed to sleep; sleepy; drowsy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your sleepish, and more than sleepish, security. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having no sleep; wakeful. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having no rest; perpetually agitated. “Biscay's sleepless bay.” Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Sleep"less*ly, adv. -- Sleep"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See 1st Hag, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. On in a state of magnetic or mesmeric sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of one mesmerized, or in a partial and morbid sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Walking in one's sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Sleepier superl. Sleepiest. ] [ AS. sl&unr_;pig. See Sleep, n. ] 1. Drowsy; inclined to, or overcome by, sleep. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

She waked her sleepy crew. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Tending to induce sleep; soporiferous; somniferous; as, a sleepy drink or potion. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Dull; lazy; heavy; sluggish. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis not sleepy business;
But must be looked to speedily and strongly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Characterized by an absence of watchfulness; as, sleepy security. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sleepy duck (Zool.), the ruddy duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A sleepy person. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bed, to bed, says Sleepyhead. Mother Goose. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The ruddy duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]