Beauty sleep
/ˈbjuːti ˌsliːp/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Originally, sleep taken before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to beauty and health; now (chiefly humorous), sleep at any time needed by one to stay beautiful; (countable) an instance of such sleep. idiomatic, uncountable
"A medical man, who may be called up at any moment, must make sure of his ‘beauty-sleep.’"
- 2 sleep before midnight wordnet
- 3 Extra sleep; also (generally), any sleep; (countable) an instance of this; an extra nap. humorous, idiomatic, uncountable
"But eager as Kate was for her beauty sleep, the light burned late in her room; and long after she had seen Mrs. Murray snugly tucked in for the night, she sat with Ranald's open letter in her hand, reading it till she almost knew it by heart."
Example
More examples"A medical man, who may be called up at any moment, must make sure of his ‘beauty-sleep.’"
Etymology
From beauty (noun) + sleep (noun).