sleeper

Everyday

1. A person or animal who is asleep, or who sleeps in a certain way: a light sleeper. tree →
2. A train with beds, or a bed on such a train. tree →
3. (UK, Australia) A heavy wooden or concrete beam under railway tracks (US: tie). tree →
4. (UK) A small earring that keeps a pierced ear open. tree →
5. Something that becomes a hit slowly; a hidden spy. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, «I'm a light sleeper» means you wake easily. In travel, a sleeper train. In gardening, railway sleepers make raised beds. Phrases: light sleeper, heavy sleeper, sleeper train.

Examples

• Dad is a heavy sleeper; nothing wakes him. tree →
• We took the sleeper train to Scotland. tree →
• Railway sleepers hold the tracks in place. tree →
• I'm a light sleeper, so I need quiet. tree →
• The sleeper hit became famous a year later. tree →
• She wears tiny gold sleepers in her ears. tree →
• But generally he sucks the blood of sleepers. tree →

Note

Countable. Related: sleepy, sleepover. Maths: sleepers along a track are evenly spaced, so it's a gaps-and-posts problem.