- a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended睡眠, 睡觉：
I was on the verge of sleep
我快睡着了。
in sing. a good night's sleep.好好地睡了一晚。
- chiefly poetic/literary a state compared to or resembling this, such as death or complete silence or stillness〈主诗/文〉死, 长眠; 寂静; 静止：
a photograph of the poet in his last sleep.
一张诗人安息时的照片。
- count noun informal (typically in the context of anticipating a forthcoming event) a night, or a night's sleep〈非正式〉一夜; 一夜之眠（尤用于期待将要发生的事件）：
two more sleeps till I fly to LA.
在我飞往洛杉矶之前还要再过两夜。
- a gummy secretion found in the corners of the eyes after sleep眼屎, 眼眵：
she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
她坐起来, 擦擦眼角的眼眵。
- be in a state of sleep睡, 睡觉; 睡着：
she slept for half an hour
她睡了半个小时
as adj. sleeping he looked at the sleeping child.他看着睡着的孩子。
sleep through
fail to be woken by没有被吵醒, 连续睡：he was so tired he slept through the alarm.
他太困了, 闹钟响了都没醒。
- figurative be inactive or dormant〈喻〉不积极的; 休眠的：
Copenhagen likes to be known as the city that never sleeps.
哥本哈根喜欢以不夜城著称。
- poetic/literary be at peace in death; lie buried〈诗/文〉安息, 安眠：
he sleeps in Holywell cemetery.
他长眠于好莱威尔公墓。
- with obj. provide (a specified number of people) with beds, rooms, or places to stay the night为（某些人）提供住宿：
studios sleeping two people cost £70 a night.
两人公寓房每晚70英镑。
- no obj., with adverbial have sexual intercourse or be involved in a sexual relationship发生性关系：
I won't sleep with a man who doesn't respect me.
我不会跟一个不尊重我的男人睡觉的。
one could do something in one's sleep
- informal one regards something as so easy that it will require no effort or conscious thought to accomplish〈非正式〉睡着也能做, 不用想也能做完：
she knew the music perfectly, could sing it in her sleep.
她非常熟悉这首乐曲, 睡着也能唱。
get to sleep
- manage to fall asleep设法入睡：
he got to sleep eventually.
他最终还是设法睡着了。
go to sleep
- fall asleep睡着。
- (of a limb) become numb as a result of prolonged pressure（四肢由于长时间的压力而）麻木。
let sleeping dogs lie
- proverb avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but may well do so as a result of such interference〈谚〉别多事, 别惹麻烦。
put someone to sleep
- make someone unconscious by using drugs, alcohol, or an anaesthetic（用毒品、酒精或麻醉剂）使入睡, 使失去知觉。
- （亦作send someone to sleep）bore someone greatly令人感到极其乏味。
put something to sleep
- kill an animal, especially an old or badly injured one, painlessly (used euphemistically)〈婉〉使（衰老、受重伤动物）无痛苦死去。
- Computing put a computer on standby while it is not being used【计算机】使转入休眠状态。
sleep easy
- 见EASY.
sleep like a log（或top）
- sleep very soundly睡得很香。
sleep on it
- informal delay making a decision on something until the following day so as to have more time to consider it〈非正式〉把（问题等）留到第二天再作决定。
the sleep of the just
- a deep, untroubled sleep酣睡。
sleep rough
- 见ROUGH.
sleep tight
- usu. in imperative sleep well (said to someone when parting from them at night)睡个好觉（晚上分别时用语）。
sleep with one eye open
- sleep very lightly, aware of what is happening around one睁着一只眼睛睡（睡觉时非常警觉）, 睡得不沉。
sleep around
- informal have many casual sexual partners〈非正式〉有多个性伴侣, 性关系随便。
sleep in
- remain asleep or in bed later than usual in the morning赖床, 睡懒觉：
life assumes a different rhythm on the weekend; we sleep in, cut the grass, wash the car.
周末的生活则截然不同; 我们睡懒觉, 修草坪, 洗汽车。
- sleep by night at one's place of work在工作地点过夜。
- sleep something off dispel the effects of or recover from something by going to sleep以睡眠消除, 睡掉：
she thought it wise to let him sleep off his hangover.
她觉得让他通过睡眠来消除宿醉是明智的。
sleep out
- sleep outdoors露宿：
they slept out all night by the river.
他们一整夜都露宿在河边。
sleep over
- N. Amer. spend the night at a place other than one's own home〈北美〉在别人家过夜, 不在自己家过夜：
Katie was asked to sleep over with Jenny.
凯蒂被邀请到詹妮家过夜。