Chapter Slaveborn to Sleer of S by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. "A man that waketh of his sleep." Chaucer.

O sleep, thou ape of death.

Shak.

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.

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.

Syn. — Slumber; repose; rest; nap; doze; drowse.

Sleep-at-noon
(Sleep"-at-noon") n. (Bot.) A plant (Tragopogon pratensis) which closes its flowers at midday; a kind of goat's beard. Dr. Prior.

Sleep-charged
(Sleep"-charged`) a. Heavy with sleep.

Sleeper
(Sleep"er) n.

1. One who sleeps; a slumberer; hence, a drone, or lazy person.

2. That which lies dormant, as a law. [Obs.] Bacon.

3. A sleeping car. [Colloq. U.S.]

4. (Zoöl.) An animal that hibernates, as the bear.

5. (Zoöl.) (a) A large fresh-water gobioid fish (b) A nurse shark. See under Nurse.

Sleeper
(Sleep"er), n. [Cf. Norw. sleip a sleeper as adj., slippery, smooth. See Slape.] Something lying in a reclining posture or position. Specifically: —

(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.

(b) One of the joists, or roughly shaped timbers, laid directly upon the ground, to receive the flooring of the ground story. [U.S.]

(c) (Naut.) One of the knees which connect the transoms to the after timbers on the ship's quarter.

(d) (Naut.) The lowest, or bottom, tier of casks.

Sleepful
(Sleep"ful) a. Strongly inclined to sleep; very sleepy. — Sleep"ful*ness, n.

Sleepily
(Sleep"i*ly) adv. In a sleepy manner; drowsily.

Sleepiness
(Sleep"i*ness), n. The quality or state of being sleepy.

Sleeping
(Sleep"ing), a. & n. from Sleep.

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.