sleeper

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A sleeper is someone or something that sleeps a lot or has the ability to sleep easily.

You might hear people talk about "sleeper" cars on trains - these are trains with special beds or sleeping compartments. But when we use the word "sleeper" in general, it often means someone who doesn't really seem very alert or awake at first glance. Think of a sleeper as a quiet person who is easy to pass by without noticing them. In an exam, for example, a student might be considered a "sleeper" if they don't draw much attention from the teacher until they surprise everyone with their good results.

How common is "sleeper"?

Word sleeper is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

Someone who sleeps.
Example: I'm a light sleeper: I get woken up by the smallest of sounds.
That which lies dormant, as a law.
A spy, saboteur, or terrorist who lives unobtrusively in a community until activated by a prearranged signal; may be part of a sleeper cell.
A small starter earring, worn to prevent a piercing from closing.
A railway sleeping car.
Example: We spent a night on an uncomfortable sleeper between Athens and Vienna.
A sleeper hold.
Something that achieves unexpected success after an interval of time.
Example: A box-office bomb when it first came out, the film was a sleeper, becoming much more popular decades after being released.
A goby-like bottom-feeding freshwater fish of the family Odontobutidae.
A nurse shark (family Ginglymostomatidae).
A type of pajama for a person, especially a child, that covers the whole body, including the feet.
Example: Aaron, Devin, and Laura looked so comfy in their sleepers.
An automobile which has been internally modified to excess, while retaining a mostly stock appearance in order to fool opponents in a drag race, or to avoid the attention of the police.
A sedative.

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verb

To mark a calf by cutting its ear.

Real examples of "sleeper" in context

Real-world video examples for this word are still being added.

sleeper

How common is "sleeper"?

noun

verb

Real examples of "sleeper" in context

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