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In a state of sleep; in sleep; dormant. Fast asleep the giant lay supine. Dryden. By whispering winds soon lulled asleep. Milton.

or in (from an, a forms of AS. on), denoting a state, as in afoot, on foot, abed, amiss, asleep, aground, aloft, away (AS. onweg), and analogically, ablaze, atremble, etc. (2) AS. of off, from, as in adown (AS. ofdüne off the dun or hill). (3) AS. a- (Goth. us-, ur-, Ger. er-), usually giving an intensive force, and s…

ms of civility. Sometimes after bluntly giving his opinions, he would quietly lay himself asleep until the end of their deliberations. Jeffrey.

singing softly. The fragment of the childish hymn with which he sung and crooned himself asleep. Dickens.

To slumber; to sleep lightly; to be in a dull or stupefied condition, as if half asleep; to be drowsy. If he happened to doze a little, the jolly cobbler waked him. L'Estrange.

(Naut.), to sail, row, or move down a river, or toward the sea. -- To drop off, to fall asleep gently; also, to die. [Colloq.]

somewha suddenly, and passively, into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.

in oaths. [Archaic] So God me help and halidom. Piers Plowman. By my halidom, I was fast asleep. Shak.

Leading to sleep; -- applied to the illusions of one who is half asleep.

To affect or influence by means of laughter or ridicule. Will you laugh me asleep, for I am very heavy Shak. I shall laugh myself to death. Shak.

To place (new type) properly in the cases. To lay asleep, to put sleep; to make unobservant or careless. Bacon. -- To lay bare, to make bare; to strip. And laid those proud roofs bare to summer's rain. Byron. -- To lay before, to present to; to submit for consideration; as, the papers are laid before Congress. -- To…

ve at least for evils, which Nature holds out; so I took it kindly at her hands, and fell asleep. Sterne.

rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm; to soothe; to quiet. " To lull him soft asleep." Spenser. Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie, To lull the daughters of necessity. Milton.

juncts of the verb from which it is derived. In the sentences: a letter is written; being asleep he did not hear; exhausted by toil he will sleep soundly, -- written, being, and exhaustedare participles. By a participle, [I understand] a verb in an adjectival aspect. Earle.

sing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. "[He] pretended to drink the waters." Macaulay.

e which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 1 Thess. iv. 15. We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us. Bk. of Common Prayer. Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen. Prior.

implying reproach. " To pry upon the stars." Chaucer. Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, To pry into the secrets of the state. Shak.

The doctrine that the soul falls asleep at death, and does not wake until the resurrection of the body. -- Psy`cho*pan"ny*chism, n.

uth push at him and the king of the north shall come against him. Dan. xi. 40. War seemed asleep for nine long years; at length Both sides resolved to push, we tried our strength. Dryden.

rous disparagement, without implication of dishonesty. Our rascally porter is fallen fast asleep. Swift.