shut-eye

The baby gets some shut-eye in the afternoon.

Definition

1. Noun (slang):
   • Sleep: "shut-eye" refers to the act or period of sleeping, especially a short or necessary rest.

Usage Examples

• (I need to sleep before the trip.)
• (He slept briefly.)
• (The baby is sleeping.)

Advanced Usage

• "to catch some shut-eye": to obtain a brief period of sleep.
  • Let me catch some shut-eye on the sofa before the meeting. (Sleep briefly on the sofa.)
• "to need shut-eye": to require sleep.
  • After the exam, I desperately need shut-eye. (I am very tired and need rest.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shut-eye (n) is a fixed compound word; no common variants exist.
• Eyelid (n): the movable skin covering the eye, often associated with closing for sleep.
  • His eyelids grew heavy as he fought for shut-eye. (His eyelids closed due to tiredness.)

Synonyms

• Sleep: the natural state of rest for the body and mind.
• Nap: a short period of sleep, especially during the day.
• Snooze: a short, light sleep, often informal.
• Forty winks: an informal idiom for a short sleep.

Related Idioms

• Not a wink of shut-eye: no sleep at all.
  • I didn't get a wink of shut-eye last night because of the noise. (I did not sleep at all.)
• Shut-eye time: the time set aside for sleeping.
  • It's shut-eye time for the kids — off to bed! (Time for children to sleep.)