to catch a wink
1
5.5
- phrasal verb
:
echar una cabezada
- Can you catch a wink during your lunch break?
Examples
-
After working all night, she tried to catch a wink before her morning meeting.
-
He usually catches a wink during his lunch break to recharge.
-
I couldn't catch a wink on the noisy train ride home.
-
I need to catch a wink before the meeting.
-
After a long day, I managed to catch a wink before dinner.
-
She found a quiet spot to catch a wink during her lunch break.
-
The baby finally fell asleep, allowing the tired mother to catch a wink.
Synonyms
376
1.0
To start sleeping
43
2.3
To sleep lightly for a short time without meaning to
35
2.7
To fall asleep for a short time without meaning to
23
3.8
To slowly fall asleep without meaning to
23
1.0
To sleep for a short time during the day
15
3.8
To sleep lightly or peacefully
12
4.1
To fall asleep for a short time without meaning to
7
2.1
To sleep lightly for a short time, often during the day
5
3.0
To fall asleep for a short time, often without meaning to
2
6.1
To be half asleep for a short time
2
7.9
To fall asleep by accident because you are very tired
2
7.9
To sleep to get some rest
1
4.4
To sleep for a short time during the day not in bed
1
7.6
To fall asleep suddenly because you are very tired
To begin to fall asleep without meaning to
To take a short nap as a joke
Antonyms
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to have a brief sleep' is partly inferable from 'catch' (to get or obtain briefly) combined with 'wink' used metaphorically as 'a very short moment', so a learner who recognises 'wink' as an instant could deduce the sense. However, 'wink' more commonly evokes the eye gesture and its temporal noun sense is less salient at B1, making the idiom only partly predictable and likely requiring some exposure.
Etymology
Catch a wink comes from the idea of trying to catch a short wink, a quick closing of the eye when you need rest. So, it means 'to have a very short sleep'.