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definitions

doze

1
[ dohz ]
/ doʊz /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR doze ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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RELATED WORDS

snooze, slumber, catnap, nap, siesta, drowse, sleep, shut-eye

Nearby words

  1. doyens,
  2. doyle,
  3. doyle, sir arthur conan,
  4. doyley,
  5. doz.,
  6. doze off,
  7. dozed,
  8. dozen,
  9. dozens,
  10. dozenth

Origin of doze

1
1640–50; 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

doze

2
[ dohz ]
/ doʊz /

verb (used with or without object), dozed, doz·ing.

Informal. to clear or level with a bulldozer.

Origin of doze

2
First 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

British Dictionary definitions for doze

doze

/ (dəʊz) /

verb (intr)

to sleep lightly or intermittently
(often foll by off) to fall into a light sleep

noun

a short sleep
Derived Formsdozer, noun

Word Origin for doze

C17: probably from Old Norse dūs lull; related to Danish döse to drowse, Swedish dialect dusa slumber
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for doze

doze

v.

1640s, probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse dusa "to doze," Danish døse "to make dull," Swedish dialectal dusa "to sleep"); related to Old English dysig "foolish" (see dizzy). May have existed in dialect earlier than attested date. Related: Dozed; dozing. As a noun, from 1731.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper