😴 A short sleep 😴 To sleep briefly

catnap

5 3.5

A short light sleep during the day not in bed

noun
/ˈkætˌnæp/

: siesta

The other morning, right after we moved into our new apartment, I was taking a catnap on the couch around 6 AM.
take a catnap
quick catnap
catch a catnap

Hi, it is time for Drew's News, your daily catnap in the warm sun puddle of good news.

Examples

I'm gonna take a catnap.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
After lunch, I decided to take a quick catnap on the couch to recharge for the afternoon.
I can go for a long catnap myself.

Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite (2020)
Need a little catnap, let me know, okay?

Killjoy 2: Deliverance from Evil (2002)
"Just a catnap," she said.

Fiction book (1994)
Even a king needs a catnap.

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)
I must have taken a little catnap.

Bathing Beauty (1944)
Hi, it is time for Drew's News, your daily catnap in the warm sun puddle of good news.

The Drew Barrymore Show
She's up basically all day, besides two to three 20-minute catnaps here and there.

Blog text (9)
Students who had previously been on the brink of a catnap jolted awake and looked up to ascertain the source of her disdain.

Blog text (19)

Synonyms

nap

vscatnap

371 1.0

A short sleep during the day

is narrower by also implying the sleep is light and not in bed

shut-eye

vscatnap

Informal

16 7.2

A short sleep taken to rest, often at night

differs by focusing on short daytime light sleep rather than nighttime rest

snooze

vscatnap

6 1.4

A short light sleep taken during the day, often not in bed

is the same but stresses being usually taken during the day and not in bed

forty winks

vscatnap

Informal

1 7.2

A short sleep during the day, usually not in bed

is the same idea but more common as a daytime quick rest

light sleep

vscatnap

1 3.7

A short, shallow sleep you wake up easily from

adds that this shallow sleep is usually short and taken during the day

kip

vscatnap

1 9.3

A short sleep often during the day

is like that but specifies the sleep is light and usually not in bed

zizz

vscatnap

9.9

A short light sleep taken during the day

is similar but highlights being usually short, light, and not in bed

Antonyms

insomnia

Specialized

57 4.1

A condition where a person cannot fall asleep or stay asleep at night

How Long

sleep

∞ 1.0

nap

371 1.0

doze

1 2.8

catnap

5 3.5

Surface Forms

catnap singular

catnaps plural

Morphology

catnap = cat + nap (transparent) = cat + nap

Meaning is a direct compound of 'cat' and 'nap' and B1 learners who know those words can infer a short sleep.

Etymology

Catnap comes from joining cat and nap, because cats are famous for taking short sleeps during the day. So a catnap means 'a short, light sleep' usually taken during the day.