sled /sle d/ (sleds , sledding , sledded )
1 N‑COUNT A sled is the same as a sledge . [AM ]
2 VERB If you go sledding , you ride on a sled. [AM ] □ [V -ing] We got home and went sledding on the small hill in our back yard. [Also V ]
sledge /sle dʒ/ (sledges , sledging , sledged )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A sledge is an object used for travelling over snow. It consists of a framework which slides on two strips of wood or metal. [BRIT ] □ She travelled 14,000 miles by sledge across Siberia to Kamchatka.
2 VERB If you sledge or go sledging , you ride on a sledge. [BRIT ] □ [V -ing] Our hill is marvellous for sledging and we always have snow in January. [Also V prep]
sledge|hammer /sle dʒhæmə r / (sledgehammers ) also sledge-hammer N‑COUNT A sledgehammer is a large, heavy hammer with a long handle, used for breaking up rocks and concrete.
sleek /sliː k/ (sleeker , sleekest )
1 ADJ Sleek hair or fur is smooth and shiny and looks healthy. □ …sleek black hair. □ The horse's sleek body gleamed.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as sleek , you mean that they look rich and stylish. □ She works an array of different looks - from rock chick to sleek and sophisticated - in the stunning photo collection.
3 ADJ Sleek vehicles, furniture, or other objects look smooth, shiny, and expensive. □ … a sleek white BMW. □ …sleek modern furniture.
sleep ◆◆◇ /sliː p/ (sleeps , sleeping , slept )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind does not think. □ They were exhausted from lack of sleep. □ Try and get some sleep. □ Be quiet and go to sleep. □ Often he would have bad dreams and cry out in his sleep.
2 VERB When you sleep , you rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body inactive. □ [V ] During the car journey, the baby slept. □ [V -ing] …a pool surrounded by sleeping sunbathers.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A sleep is a period of sleeping. □ I think he may be ready for a sleep soon.
4 VERB [no cont, no passive] If a building or room sleeps a particular number of people, it has beds for that number of people. □ [V amount] The villa sleeps 10 and costs £530 per person for two weeks.
5 → see also sleeping
6 PHRASE If you cannot get to sleep , you are unable to sleep. □ I can't get to sleep with all that singing.
7 PHRASE If you say that you didn't lose any sleep over something, you mean that you did not worry about it at all. □ I didn't lose too much sleep over that investigation.
8 PHRASE If you are trying to make a decision and you say that you will sleep on it , you mean that you will delay making a decision on it until the following day, so you have time to think about it.
9 PHRASE If a sick or injured animal is put to sleep , it is killed by a vet in a way that does not cause it pain. □ I'm going take the dog down to the vet's and have her put to sleep.
10 to sleep rough → see rough
▸ sleep around PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone sleeps around , you disapprove of them because they have sex with a lot of different people. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P ] I don't sleep around. □ [V P + with ] For me, it's not cool to go out and sleep around with multiple partners.
▸ sleep off PHRASAL VERB If you sleep off the effects of too much travelling, drink, or food, you recover from it by sleeping. □ [V P n] It's a good idea to spend the first night of your holiday sleeping off the jet lag. □ [V n P ] They had been up all night and were sleeping it off.
▸ sleep over PHRASAL VERB If someone, especially a child, sleeps over in a place such as a friend's home, they stay there for one night. □ [V P ] She said his friends could sleep over in the big room downstairs.
▸ sleep together PHRASAL VERB If two people are sleeping together , they are having a sexual relationship, but are not usually married to each other. □ [V P ] I'm pretty sure they slept together before they were married.
▸ sleep with PHRASAL VERB If you sleep with someone, you have sex with them. □ [V P n] He was old enough to sleep with a girl and make her pregnant.
sleep|er /sliː pə r / (sleepers )
1 N‑COUNT [adj N ] You can use sleeper to indicate how well someone sleeps. For example, if someone is a light sleeper , they are easily woken up. □ I'm a very light sleeper and I can hardly get any sleep at all.
2 N‑COUNT In British English, a sleeper is a carriage on a train containing beds for passengers to sleep in at night, or a section of such a carriage. The usual American words are sleeping car for the carriage and roomette for the section.
3 N‑COUNT A sleeper is a train with beds for its passengers to sleep in at night. [BRIT ]
4 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] Railway sleepers are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. [BRIT ] in AM, use ties
sleep|ing /sliː p I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use sleeping to describe places where people sleep or things concerned with where people sleep. □ On the top floor we have sleeping quarters for women and children.