sleeper
/ˈsliːpə(ɹ)/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.46 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A spy, saboteur, or terrorist who lives unobtrusively in a community until activated by a prearranged signal; may be part of a sleeper cell.
noun
noun
A sleeper hold.
noun
Something that achieves unexpected success after an interval of time.
noun
Any member of the family Odontobutidae of goby-like bottom-feeding freshwater fish.
Example Sentences
- "I'm a light sleeper: I get woken up by the smallest of sounds."
- "She's a heavy sleeper: it takes a lot to wake her up."
- "Waveless mattresses are for those who prefer a more stationary [night's sleep]; semiwaveless for those who want a slight rocking motion, and free-flow for sleepers who want the feel of a boat. All beds come with temperature controls, and king- and queen-size models offer dual controls."
- "Therefore let penal laws, if they have been sleepers of long, or if they be grown unfit for the present time, be by wise judged confined in the execution […]"
- "The object of these provisions is to prevent insertion of "jokers" or "sleepers" in bills and securing passage under the false color of the title."
- "We are up against the pros; and pros who have been involved in this kind of activity for many years. […] The public apathy today is disturbing — few realize, Mr. Chairman, that there are sleepers in this country and we know that they are able to manipulate at will behind the scenes."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: sleper