Nearby words

  1. sleep-out,
  2. sleep-over,
  3. sleep-terror disorder,
  4. sleep-wake cycle,
  5. sleepcoat,
  6. sleeper seat,
  7. sleeper terrorist,
  8. sleeping,
  9. sleeping bag,
  10. sleeping beauty

Origin of sleeper

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at sleep, -er1 Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sleeper

British Dictionary definitions for sleeper



a person, animal, or thing that sleeps
a railway sleeping car or compartment
British one of the blocks supporting the rails on a railway trackUS and Canadian equivalent: tie
a heavy timber beam, esp one that is laid horizontally on the ground
mainly British a small plain gold circle worn in a pierced ear lobe to prevent the hole from closing up
a wrestling hold in which a wrestler presses the sides of his opponent's neck, causing him to pass out
US an unbranded calf
Also called: sleeper goby any gobioid fish of the family Eleotridae, of brackish or fresh tropical waters, resembling the gobies but lacking a ventral sucker
informal a person or thing that achieves unexpected success after an initial period of obscurity

Word Origin and History for sleeper




Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper