forty winks
forty winks · forty winkses
A short sleep, especially when taken during the dayA short sleep, especially when taken during the day; a nap.
UK/ˌfɔːti ˈwɪŋks/US/ˌfɔɹti ˈwɪŋks/
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic, informal, plural, plural only)A short sleep, especially when taken during the day; a nap.
Near-synonyms: shut-eye, twenty winks; see also Thesaurus:shut-eye
As you’re so tired, why not try to catch forty winks before you leave?
eine Mütze Schlaf (voll)
More definitions
- sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)
Translations
1 languagesDeutsch
short sleep — see also nap:
Origin
From forty + winks, possibly referring to a nap supposedly lasting as long as it takes a pFrom forty + winks, possibly referring to a nap supposedly lasting as long as it takes a person to wink (i.e., blink) forty times.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: forty winkses| Singular | forty winks |
|---|---|
| Plural | forty winkses |
regular
Synonyms
11 synonymsClose in meaning
- sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed):napcatnaplight sleepshort sleepsnooze