siesta

[ see-es-tuh ]

noun

1. a midday or afternoon rest or nap, especially as taken in Spain and Latin America:

   He is trying to relax, but the road construction noise seems likely to ruin his siesta.

verb (used without object)

1. to take a midday or afternoon rest or nap:

   It got so hot that even the cicadas started singing earlier and siestaed during the heat of the day.

siesta

/ sɪˈɛstə /

noun

1. a rest or nap, usually taken in the early afternoon, as in hot countries

Word History and Origins

Origin of siesta¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from Spanish, from Latin sexta ( hōra ) “the sixth (hour), midday”

Word History and Origins

Origin of siesta¹

C17: from Spanish, from Latin sexta hōra the sixth hour, that is, noon

Example Sentences

Instead, Milton veered south, making landfall near Siesta Key and thus sparing Tampa from the worst-case scenarios that many had predicted.

From Slate

The entire town seemed to be taking a siesta.

From Los Angeles Times

After making landfall as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, a barrier island in Sarasota County, Milton barreled east with powerful winds and tornadoes that downed trees, snapped power lines, flipped semitrucks and tossed houses off their foundations.

From Los Angeles Times

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday near Siesta Key, off the west coast of Florida.

From Salon

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key — a barrier island near Sarasota — around 8:30 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times