doze

¹ American  

[dohz] / doʊz /

verb (used without object)

dozed, dozing

1. to sleep lightly or fitfully.

2. to fall into a light sleep unintentionally (often followed byoff ).

   He dozed off during the sermon.

3. to sleep for a short time; nap.

4. to be dull or half asleep.

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verb (used with object)

dozed, dozing

1. to pass or spend (time) in drowsiness (often followed byaway ).

   He dozed away the afternoon.

noun

1. a light or fitful sleep; nap.

   Synonyms:

   forty winks, catnap, siesta, snooze

doze ² American  

[dohz] / doʊz /

verb (used with or without object)

dozed, dozing

1. Informal. to clear or level with a bulldozer.

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doze British  

/ dəʊz /

verb

1. to sleep lightly or intermittently

2. (often foll by off) to fall into a light sleep

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noun

1. a short sleep

Other Word Forms

• dozer noun

Etymology

Origin of doze¹

1640–50; originally (now obsolete) to stupefy, make drowsy; compare Scots, N England dialect dozened, Middle English ( Scots ) dosnyt, dosinnit stupefied, dazed; akin to Old Norse dūsa rest, Swedish dialect dusa doze, slumber, Middle Low German dusen to be thoughtless; daze

Origin of doze²

First recorded in 1940–45; shortened form of bulldoze

Example Sentences

I’m not sure who dozes off first, but when I wake up again, the morning sunlight is streaming through the small basement windows.

From Literature

Finally he did sleep, a shallow doze filled with nightmares.

From Literature

Orion had dozed off on a plush floor mat.

From Literature

“I know you’ll think I’m crazy. Maybe I dozed off, or maybe I’m so worn out I’m hallucinating, but I think I saw a big spotted cat running along my side. Looked like a leopard.”

From Literature

Somewhere in the night he’d flipped the bookcase over and floated the rest of the way lying inside, dozing safe as a chick in its nest.

From Literature

Related Words

• drift off
• nod off
• snooze