sleeper en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈsliːpə(ɹ)/
Etymology
From Middle English sleper, equivalent to sleep + -er.
Meanings
-
Someone who sleeps.
I'm a light sleeper: I get woken up by the smallest of sounds.
Waveless mattresses are for those who prefer a more stationary [night's sleep]; semiwaveless for those who want a slight rocking motion, and free-flow for sleepers who want the feel of a boat. All beds come with temperature controls, and king- and queen-size models offer dual controls.
1986 August 28, Patricia Leigh Brown, “17 YEARS OF THE WATER BED: A SOCIAL HISTORY; CHECKING OUT REFINEMENTS”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2018:She's a heavy sleeper: it takes a lot to wake her up.
-
That which lies dormant, as a law.
The object of these provisions is to prevent insertion of "jokers" or "sleepers" in bills and securing passage under the false color of the title.
1958, Duncan Leroy Kennedy, Bill drafting, page 12:Therefore let penal laws, if they have been sleepers of long, or if they be grown unfit for the present time, be by wise judged confined in the execution […]
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Judicature”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
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A spy, saboteur, or terrorist who lives unobtrusively in a community until activated by a prearranged signal; may be part of a sleeper cell.
We are up against the pros; and pros who have been involved in this kind of activity for many years. […] The public apathy today is disturbing — few realize, Mr. Chairman, that there are sleepers in this country and we know that they are able to manipulate at will behind the scenes.
1969, United States Congress, Departments of Treasury and Post Office and Executive Office Appropriations for 1970: Hearings, (91st Congress, First Session, parts 2-3), page 479:
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A small starter earring, worn to prevent a piercing from closing.
His skull earring had been replaced by a small gold sleeper. […] Fiona, who also had pierced ears, remarked on his sleeper. “Doesn’t Wilton allow pierced ears?” she asked. “No way!” said Leslie. “Rules about everything. But I wanted to keep my options open, as you might say. No one’s made me take it out yet. […]”
1984, Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock:
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A railway sleeping car.
It is realised that the old Pullman standard sleeper, with its convertible "sections", each containing upper and lower berths, and with no greater privacy at night than the curtains drawn along both sides of a middle aisle, has had its day.
1944 November and December, “"Duplex Roomette" Sleeping Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 324:We spent a night on an uncomfortable sleeper between Athens and Vienna.
-
A sleeper hold.
The Slobproof line — made with a softer, more supple version of Crypton Ms. Weiner developed with the manufacturer — includes sectionals, sleepers, sofas and chairs (the Jacob chair, above left, is $975).
2010 April 22, Joyce Cohen, “Slobproof Sofas and Chairs”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2010:The mechanism is far easier to maneuver than those found in classic sleepers (see video below). That’s because you’re lifting only two of the three panels—the third glides up or down against the back of the couch and easily slides into position whether you’re opening or closing the sleeper.
2024 December 12, Joshua Lyon, “The Best Sleeper Sofas”, in Wirecutter, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 Dec 2024:Detailed floral stripe on sofas, sleepers and loveseats with correlating provincial print on double ruffle trim.
1980, Montgomery Ward, “‘Country Charm’ slipcovers and all the important accessories”, in Fall & Winter ’80, Chicago, Ill., →OCLC, page 1278, column 1:
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Something that achieves unexpected success after an interval of time.
For example, the [racehorse] trainer may have tipped a betting syndicate that he is about to unleash a sleeper […]
1968, Marvin B. Scott, The Racing Game, page 160:A box-office bomb when it first came out, the film was a sleeper, becoming much more popular decades after being released.
- Any member of the family Odontobutidae of goby-like bottom-feeding freshwater fish.
- A nurse shark (family Ginglymostomatidae).
-
A type of pajama for a person, especially a child, that covers the whole body, including the feet.
Aaron, Devin, and Laura looked so comfy in their sleepers.
- (slang) An automobile which has been internally modified to excess, while retaining a mostly stock appearance in order to fool opponents in a drag race, or to avoid the attention of the police.
-
(slang) A sedative.
Major trials show an association between the use of 'sleepers' known as benzodiazepines and an increased risk of developing dementia.
2017 October 21, Ellie Cannon, “ASK DR ELLIE: Why do I have itchy arms in the autumn and is insomnia a warning of Dementia?”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Nov 2017:At least a couple of weeks since I last slept, / Kept takin' sleepers, but now I keep myself pepped.
1995, “Insomnia”, in Reverence, performed by Faithless:
- (slang) A bet placed on the gambling table and then forgotten about by the gambler.
- A pod or similar device containing a person in cryosleep.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sleepers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
cop magnet · rice burner · racecar
Coordinates
Deriveds
sleeper agent · bedside sleeper · daysleeper · sleeper berth · short sleeper · sleeper effect · sleeper build · sleeper cell · super-sleeper · nonsleeper · cosleeper · sleeper bus · sleeper pick · sleepershark · railway sleeper · fat sleeper · hot sleeper · insleeper · sleeper shark · sleeper ship · rough sleeper · sofa sleeper · sofa-sleeper · car-sleeper · cold sleeper · sleeper cab · spiny-cheek sleeper · sleeperette · spinycheek sleeper · short-sleeper · dark sleeper · sleeper account
Descendants
Relateds
Synonyms
sleeper agent · sleeper hit · sleeper goby (goby-like fish)
Translations (40)
fi nukkuva agentti (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated) · fi rohmutokko (freshwater fish of the family Odontobutidae) · de Strampelanzug (type of pajamas that covers the whole body) · de Schläfer (someone who sleeps) · ga fáinne cluaise simplí (starter earring) · mr झोपणारी (someone who sleeps) · ca dormilega (someone who sleeps) · sw mlalaji (someone who sleeps) · la dormītor (someone who sleeps) · mr झोपणारा (someone who sleeps) · ru диверса́нт (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated) · es dormilón (someone who sleeps) · tr uykucu (someone who sleeps) · nl slaper (someone who sleeps) · bg спящ човек (someone who sleeps) · ru со́ня (someone who sleeps) · ru крот (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated) · fi unihaalari (type of pajamas that covers the whole body) · fr dormeur (someone who sleeps) · fi kuollut kirjain (that which lies dormant, as a law) · es pijama con los pies (type of pajamas that covers the whole body) · cy cysgadur (someone who sleeps) · wa soctant (someone who sleeps) · hu alvó (someone who sleeps) · es durmiente (rung on a train track) · ga codlatóir (someone who sleeps) · fi harjoituskorvarengas (starter earring) · fi nukkuja (someone who sleeps) · wa doirmeu (someone who sleeps) · pl śpiący (someone who sleeps) · ko 자는 사람 (someone who sleeps) · eo dormanto (someone who sleeps) · wa soctante (someone who sleeps) · sv sovare (someone who sleeps) · pt dorminhoca (someone who sleeps) · de Schläfer (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated) · pt dorminhoco (someone who sleeps) · wa doirmeuse (someone who sleeps) · ru спя́щий аге́нт (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated) · ru сабота́жник (spy, saboteur or terrorist waiting to be activated)