doze

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a light fitful sleep
  2. verb sleep lightly or for a short period of time

Etymology

From Middle English *dosen, from Old Norse dúsa (“to doze, rest, remain quiet”), from Proto-Germanic *dusāną (“to be dizzy”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (“to fly, whirl”), from *dʰew- (“to fly, shake, reek, steam, smolder”). Cognate with Old Frisian dusia (“to be dizzy”), German Low German dösen (“to doze”), German dösen (“to doze”), Danish døse (“to doze”), dialectal Swedish dusa (“to doze, slumber”), Icelandic dúsa (“to doze”), Old English dysiġ (“foolish, stupid”), Scots dosnit (“stunned, stupefied”), Icelandic dúra (“to nap, slumber”), also compare Dutch doezelen (“to doze”). More at dizzy.

In classic literature

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