Slumber

Pronunciation

Alternative forms

• slumbre obsolete

Origin

From Middle English slombren, slomren, frequentive of slummen, slumen ("to doze"), probably from slume ("slumber"), from Old English slūma, from Proto-Germanic *slūm- ("slack, loose, limp, flabby"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lew- ("loose, limp, flabby"), equivalent to sloom + -er. Akin to Middle High German slumen ("to slumber"). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian gjumë ("sleep").

Full definition of slumber

Noun

1. A very light state of sleep, almost awake.He at last fell into a slumber, and thence into a fast sleep, which detained him in that place until it was almost night. — Bunyan.Fast asleep? It is no matter;
   Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber. — Shakespeare.Rest to my soul, and slumber to my eyes. — Dryden.

Derived terms

• slumberlike

Verb

1. (intransitive) To be in a very light state of sleep, almost awake.
• Bible, Psalms cxxi. 4He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
2. (intransitive) To be inactive or negligent.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To lay to sleep.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To stun; to stupefy.

Anagrams

• lumbers, rumbles, umbrels