2 → see also sleep USAGE sleeping or asleep?
Don’t use asleep
in front of a noun. Don’t, for example, talk about an ‘
slee p|ing bag (sleeping bags ) N‑COUNT A sleeping bag is a large deep bag with a warm lining, used for sleeping in, especially when you are camping.
slee p|ing car (sleeping cars ) N‑COUNT A sleeping car is a railway carriage containing beds for passengers to sleep in at night.
slee p|ing gi ant (sleeping giants ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone or something as a sleeping giant , you mean that they are powerful but they have not yet shown the full extent of their power. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ of ] The trust, which has 2.3 million members, is a sleeping giant of the environment movement.
slee p|ing pa rt|ner (sleeping partners ) N‑COUNT A sleeping partner is a person who provides some of the capital for a business but who does not take an active part in managing the business. [BRIT , BUSINESS ] in AM, use silent partner
slee p|ing pill (sleeping pills ) N‑COUNT A sleeping pill is a pill that you can take to help you sleep.
slee p|ing sick|ness N‑UNCOUNT Sleeping sickness is a serious tropical disease which causes great tiredness and often leads to death.
slee p|ing tab|let (sleeping tablets ) N‑COUNT A sleeping tablet is the same as a sleeping pill .
sleep|less /sliː pləs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A sleepless night is one during which you do not sleep. □ I have sleepless nights worrying about her.
2 ADJ Someone who is sleepless is unable to sleep. □ A sleepless baby can seem to bring little reward.
sleep|over /sliː poʊvə r / (sleepovers ) also sleep-over N‑COUNT A sleepover is an occasion when someone, especially a child, sleeps for one night in a place such as a friend's home.
sleep|walk /sliː pwɔːk/ (sleepwalks , sleepwalking , sleepwalked ) VERB If someone is sleepwalking , they are walking around while they are asleep. □ [V ] He once sleepwalked to the middle of the road outside his home at 1 a.m.
sleepy /sliː pi/ (sleepier , sleepiest )
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are sleepy , you are very tired and are almost asleep. □ I was beginning to feel amazingly sleepy. ● sleepi|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Joanna sat up, blinking sleepily. ● sleepi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He tried to fight the sleepiness that overwhelmed him.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A sleepy place is quiet and does not have much activity or excitement. □ Valence is a sleepy little town just south of Lyon.
sleet /sliː t/ N‑UNCOUNT Sleet is rain that is partly frozen. □ …blinding snow, driving sleet and wind.
sleeve /sliː v/ (sleeves )
1 N‑COUNT The sleeves of a coat, shirt, or other item of clothing are the parts that cover your arms. □ His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. □ [+ of ] He wore a black band on the left sleeve of his jacket.
2 N‑COUNT [n N ] A record sleeve is the stiff envelope in which a record is kept. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] There are to be no pictures of him on the sleeve of the new record. in AM, usually use jacket
3 PHRASE If you have something up your sleeve , you have an idea or plan which you have not told anyone about. You can also say that someone has an ace, card, or trick up their sleeve . □ He wondered what Shearson had up his sleeve.
-sleeved /-sliːvd/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -sleeved is added to adjectives such as 'long' and 'short' to form adjectives which indicate that an item of clothing has long or short sleeves. □ …a short-sleeved blue shirt.
sleeve|less /sliː vləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A sleeveless dress, top, or other item of clothing has no sleeves. □ She wore a sleeveless silk dress.
slee ve note (sleeve notes ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] The sleeve notes are short pieces of writing on the covers of records, which tell you something about the music or the musicians. [BRIT ] in AM, use liner note
sleigh /sle I / (sleighs ) N‑COUNT A sleigh is a vehicle which can slide over snow. Sleighs are usually pulled by horses.
sleight of hand /sla I t əv hæ nd/ (sleights of hand ) N‑VAR Sleight of hand is the deceiving of someone in a skilful way. □ He accused Mr MacGregor of 'sleight of hand'.
slen|der /sle ndə r /
1 ADJ A slender person is attractively thin and graceful. [WRITTEN , APPROVAL ] □ She was slender, with delicate wrists and ankles. □ …a tall, slender figure in a straw hat.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use slender to describe a situation which exists but only to a very small degree. [WRITTEN ] □ The United States held a slender lead.
slept /sle pt/ Slept is the past tense and past participle of sleep .
sleuth /sluː θ/ (sleuths ) N‑COUNT A sleuth is a detective. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
sleuth|ing /sluː θ I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Sleuthing is the investigation of a crime or mystery by someone who is not a police officer. [LITERARY ] □ I did a little sleuthing to see if I could find any footprints.
slew /sluː / (slews , slewing , slewed )
1 Slew is the past tense of slay .
2 VERB If a vehicle slews or is slewed across a road, it slides across it. □ [V adv/prep] The bus slewed sideways. □ [V n prep/adv] He slewed the car against the side of the building.