To take some sleep for shorter period of time, a brief nap
Etymology:
- Since the 14th century, "wink" has referred to sleep, but probably just a short period of sleep because when you wink you close and open your eyelids quickly. In the Bible and the works of William Shakespeare, the number forty didn't always mean the number after thirty-nine. It meant an indefinite number or "few." The phrase "forty winks" was first used in 1872 in an issue of the famous British humor magazine Punch.
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As Liana is preparing for her exams, she asked her mother to wake her up after she takes forty winks.
Submitted on February 25, 2019
Additional definitions for 'Forty Winks':
| forty winks | Sleep, extra sleep, or a nap. |
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quaranta occhiate
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"Forty Winks." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/forty-winks_44680>.
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