- (intransitive) to sleep, esp peacefully
- (intransitive) to be quiescent or dormant
- (transitive) followed by away: to spend (time) sleeping
- (sometimes plural) sleep
- a dormant or quiescent state
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
slum•ber /ˈslʌmbɚ/USA pronunciation
v. [no object]
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Physiologyto sleep.
n.
- Physiology[uncountable] sleep.
- Physiology[countable] a period of sleep.
slum•ber
(slum′bər),USA pronunciation v.i.
v.t.
n.
slum′ber•er, n.
slum′ber•less, adj.
- Physiologyto sleep, esp. lightly;
doze;
drowse. - to be in a state of inactivity, negligence, quiescence, or calm:Vesuvius is slumbering.
v.t.
- to spend or pass (time) in slumbering (often fol. by away, out, or through):to slumber the afternoon away.
- to dispel or forget by slumbering (often fol. by away):to slumber cares away.
n.
- PhysiologySometimes, slumbers. sleep, esp. light sleep.
- Physiologya period of sleep, esp. light sleep.
- a state of inactivity, quiescence, etc.
- 1175–1225; (verb, verbal) Middle English slumeren, frequentative of slumen to doze, derivative of Old English slūma sleep (see -er6); compare German schlummern; (noun, nominal) Middle English slomur, slomber, derivative of the verb, verbal
slum′ber•less, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
slumber /ˈslʌmbə/ vb
'slumber' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
doze
- kip
- enwrap
- forgetful
- heavy
- pajama party
- torpor
- unsound
- sink
- sleep
- slumberland
- slumberous
- slumber party
- slumbershade
- slumbery
- snooze
- soft
- soporose