Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sleeper
Sleep′er
,Noun.
1.
One who sleeps; a slumberer; hence, a drone, or lazy person.
2.
That which lies dormant, as a law.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
3.
A sleeping car.
[Colloq. U.S.]
4.
(Zool.)
An animal that hibernates, as the bear.
5.
(Zool.)
(a)
A large fresh-water gobioid fish (
Eleotris dormatrix
). (b)
A nurse shark. See under
Nurse
. Sleep′er
,Noun.
[Cf. Norw.
sleip
a sleeper (a timber), as adj., slippery, smooth. See Slape
.] Something lying in a reclining posture or position.
Specifically: –(a)
One of the pieces of timber, stone, or iron, on or near the level of the ground, for the support of some superstructure, to steady framework, to keep in place the rails of a railway, etc.; a stringpiece.
(b)
One of the joists, or roughly shaped timbers, laid directly upon the ground, to receive the flooring of the ground story.
[U.S.]
(c)
(Naut.)
One of the knees which connect the transoms to the after timbers on the ship’s quarter.
(d)
(Naut.)
The lowest, or bottom, tier of casks.
Webster 1828 Edition
Sleeper
SLEE'PER
,Noun.
1.
A person that sleeps; also, a drone or lazy person.2.
That which lies dormant, as a law not executed. [Not in use.]3.
AN animal that lies dormant in winter, as the bear, the marmot, & c.4.
In building, the oblique rafter that lies in a gutter,5.
In New England, a floor timber.6.
In ship-building, a thick piece of timber placed longitudinally in a ship's hold, opposite the several scarfs of the timbers, for strengthening the bows and stern-frame, particularly in the Greenland ships; or a piece of long compass-timber fayed and bolted diagonally upon the transoms.7.
In the glass trade, a large iron bar crossing the smaller ones, hindering the passage of coals, but leaving room for the ashes.8.
A platform.9.
A fish. [exocatus.]