slumber

American  

[sluhm-ber] / ˈslʌm bər /

verb (used without object)

1. to sleep, especially lightly; doze; drowse.

2. to be in a state of inactivity, negligence, quiescence, or calm.

   Vesuvius is slumbering.

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verb (used with object)

1. to spend or pass (time) in slumbering (often followed by away, out, orthrough ).

   to slumber the afternoon away.

2. to dispel or forget by slumbering (often followed byaway ).

   to slumber cares away.

noun

1. Sometimes slumbers. sleep, especially light sleep.

2. a period of sleep, especially light sleep.

3. a state of inactivity, quiescence, etc.

slumber British  

/ ˈslʌmbə /

verb

1. (intr) to sleep, esp peacefully

2. (intr) to be quiescent or dormant

3. to spend (time) sleeping

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noun

1. (sometimes plural) sleep

2. a dormant or quiescent state

Other Word Forms

• slumberer noun
• slumberless adjective
• unslumbering adjective

Etymology

Origin of slumber

1175–1225; (v.) Middle English slumeren, frequentative of slumen to doze, derivative of Old English slūma sleep ( -er ⁶ ); compare German schlummern; (noun) Middle English slomur, slomber, derivative of the v.

Example Sentences

Football awoke from its slumber in June 2020, squeezing the end of a season into a couple of months.

From BBC

Natural disasters are inevitable, but often, the most devastating slumber for decades, sometimes centuries, only awakening when provoked.

From Salon

It took all morning to climb the ridge, and all afternoon to scramble down into the next valley, where a silent pine forest guarded a slumbering river.

From Literature

I fell into a slumber so deep Ma couldn’t rouse me that morning.

From Literature

However, if the U.S. bats do not rouse from their slumber, the championship game will be a game the Americans curse forever.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• coma
• dormancy
• stupor