doze

¹ American  

[dohz] / doʊz /

verb (used without object)

dozed, dozing

1. to sleep lightly or fitfully.

2. to fall into a light sleep unintentionally (often followed byoff ).

   He dozed off during the sermon.

3. to sleep for a short time; nap.

4. to be dull or half asleep.

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verb (used with object)

dozed, dozing

1. to pass or spend (time) in drowsiness (often followed byaway ).

   He dozed away the afternoon.

noun

1. a light or fitful sleep; nap.

   Synonyms:

   forty winks, catnap, siesta, snooze

doze ² American  

[dohz] / doʊz /

verb (used with or without object)

dozed, dozing

1. Informal. to clear or level with a bulldozer.

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doze British  

/ dəʊz /

verb

1. to sleep lightly or intermittently

2. (often foll by off) to fall into a light sleep

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noun

1. a short sleep

Other Word Forms

• dozer noun

Etymology

Origin of doze¹

1640–50; originally (now obsolete) to stupefy, make drowsy; compare Scots, N England dialect dozened, Middle English ( Scots ) dosnyt, dosinnit stupefied, dazed; akin to Old Norse dūsa rest, Swedish dialect dusa doze, slumber, Middle Low German dusen to be thoughtless; daze

Origin of doze²

First recorded in 1940–45; shortened form of bulldoze

Example Sentences

“Just a short doze, Captain,” Clare said, arranging a tuft of moss beneath his largest and most favorite mushroom.

From Literature

People dozed on station benches or sat on luggage on platforms as they waited for their trains.

From Barron's

I dozed too, from time to time, my head on the shoulder of the friendly girl behind us.

From Literature

She slept on her feet, and she’d dozed through everything so far.

From Literature

Finally I pulled out my sleeping bag and made a camp of sorts and heated some tea and dozed and drank tea and thought of how it is to be stupid.

From Literature

Related Words

• drift off
• nod off
• snooze