ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sleepers

n. plural-only
B1 Intermediate US //ˈsɫipɝz// UK //slˈiːpəz// sleep·ers

n. people who are asleep, or a type of comfortable clothing for babies that covers their feet. It can also mean the heavy pieces of wood or concrete that support train tracks.

n. individuals in a state of sleep; alternatively, the heavy horizontal supports for railway tracks. In North American English, refers to one-piece infant garments that cover the feet.


SIMPLE

The quiet house was full of sleepers on Sunday morning.

CONTEXTUAL

Engineers inspected the concrete sleepers along the high-speed rail line to ensure the tracks remained stable.

COMPLEX

While the sleepers in the nursery remained undisturbed, the heavy freight train rattled the wooden sleepers beneath the rails just a few hundred yards from the house.

Synonyms
Usage

When referring to people or railway supports, it is a standard countable noun; when referring to baby clothes, it is often used in the plural.

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