doze
1[dohz]
verb (used without object), dozed, doz·ing.
to sleep lightly or fitfully.
to fall into a light sleep unintentionally (often followed by off): He dozed off during the sermon.
to sleep for a short time; nap.
to be dull or half asleep.
verb (used with object), dozed, doz·ing.
to pass or spend (time) in drowsiness (often followed by away): He dozed away the afternoon.
noun
a light or fitful sleep; nap.
Origin of doze
11640–50; orig. (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; cf. daze
Synonyms for doze
doze
2[dohz]
verb (used with or without object), dozed, doz·ing.
Origin of doze
2First recorded in 1940–45; shortened form of bulldoze
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for doze
Historical Examples of doze
I doze for a little, and when I waken there are people in the room.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
A doze in the coach is the flower of dozes, when you are alone.
Then he wakened out of his doze, and began questioning me who the gentlemen were.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
And so, after a while, exhausted from her efforts, she fell into a doze.
The Vagrant DukeGeorge Gibbs
Pardon my appearance, but I was startled out of a doze when you knocked.
doze
verb (intr)
noun
Word Origin for doze
C17: probably from Old Norse dūs lull; related to Danish döse to drowse, Swedish dialect dusa slumber
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