besleep
English
Etymology
From Middle English beslepen, from Old English beslǣpan (“to sleep, sleep through, sleep over”), equivalent to be- + sleep. Compare West Frisian besliepe (“to sleep with”), Dutch beslapen (“to sleep with”), German beschlafen (“to lay with”).
Verb
besleep (third-person singular simple present besleeps, present participle besleeping, simple past and past participle beslept)
- (transitive, intransitive, reflexive, archaic) To sleep; have a sleep; sleep with.
- 1859, George Gilfillan, The poets and poetry of the Bible:
- Others are going about our streets, like well-meaning but beslept watchmen, calling the hours of midnight, while the morning is paling their lanterns.
- 1926, Blanche Colton Williams, Best American stories:
- He still beslept himself as we passed; he being a slumbersome person.
- 1973, Georg Peter Landmann, Stefan George in fremden Sprachen:
- He knows the last but whom the god beslept.
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Anagrams
- Peebles