rest
1the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep: a good night's rest.
refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor: to allow an hour for rest.
relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs.
a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquility: to go away for a rest.
mental or spiritual calm; tranquility: At a high-pressure job like this, you need all the emotional rest you can get.
the repose of death: eternal rest.
cessation or absence of motion: to bring a machine to rest.
Music.
an interval of silence between tones.
a mark or sign indicating an interval of silence between tones.
Prosody. a short pause within a line; caesura.
a place that provides shelter or lodging for travelers, as an inn.
any stopping or resting place: a roadside rest for weary hikers.
a piece or thing for something to rest on: a hand rest.
a supporting device; support.
Billiards, Pool. bridge1 (def. 14b).
to refresh oneself, as by sleeping, lying down, or relaxing.
to relieve weariness by cessation of exertion or labor.
to be at ease; have tranquility or peace: to practice meditation as a way to rest and regroup.
to repose in death.
to be quiet or still.
to cease from motion, come to rest; stop.
to become or remain inactive.
to stay as is or remain without further action or notice: to let a matter rest.
to lie, sit, lean, or be set: His arm rested on the table.
Agriculture. to lie fallow or unworked: to let land rest.
to be imposed as a burden or responsibility (usually followed by on or upon).
to rely (usually followed by on or upon).
to be based or founded (usually followed by on or upon).
to be found; belong; reside (often followed by with): The blame rests with them.
to be present; dwell; linger (usually followed by on or upon): A sunbeam rests upon the altar.
to be fixed or directed on something, as the eyes, a gaze, etc.
Law. to terminate voluntarily the introduction of evidence in a case.
to give rest to; refresh with rest: to rest oneself.
to lay or place for rest, ease, or support: to rest one's back against a tree.
Idioms about rest
at rest,
in a state of repose, as in sleep.
dead.
quiescent; inactive; not in motion:the inertia of an object at rest.
free from worry; tranquil: Nothing could put his mind at rest.
lay to rest,
to inter (a dead body); bury: He was laid to rest last Thursday.
to allay, suppress, or appease.
Origin of rest
1Other words for rest
Other words from rest
- rest·er, noun
Words that may be confused with rest
- rest , wrest
Other definitions for rest (2 of 3)
the rest,
the part that is left or remains; remainder: Thirty of the students found seats, but the rest are in the corridor. Approximately $250,000 was set aside for paying legal fees, and the rest is for administration of the program.
the other people or things; everyone or everything else under consideration: All the rest of the kids are going, so why can't I?He was traded to the team five years ago, and the rest is football history.
British Banking. surplus (defs. 1, 2).
to continue to be; remain as specified: Rest assured that all is well.
Origin of rest
2Other definitions for rest (3 of 3)
Origin of rest
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use rest in a sentence
Sortition rests on two rather unique properties of random sampling.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives? | Michael Schulson | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen.
Are Politicians Too Dumb to Understand the Lyrics to ‘Born in the USA’? | Parker Molloy | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe rests lavishly, depicted in a marble sarcophagus that stares up for eternity at the carved depictions of his life story.
“The fragility of the Putin regime lies in the fact that the entire regime rests in one person,” he said.
Russian Tycoon: We Must Prepare For Putin’s Inevitable Downfall | Josh Rogin | October 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Spire rests on the same basic principal as the old-school fountains.
The chair rests upon two long poles, which hang by straps upon the shoulders of four stout men.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeThis is then suspended from a button on the trousers so that the bottle rests against the skin of the inguinal region.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddUpon the Irish railway companies, for the present position of affairs no responsibility, therefore, rests.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowThe enjoyment of it by them is a palpable evidence that obligation rests upon them.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamBut the fact remains that the blame of the disaster at Klm rests entirely on Napoleon and Vandamme.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
British Dictionary definitions for rest (1 of 2)
/ (rɛst) /
relaxation from exertion or labour
(as modifier): a rest period
repose; sleep
any relief or refreshment, as from worry or something troublesome
calm; tranquillity
death regarded as repose: eternal rest
cessation from motion
at rest
not moving; still
calm; tranquil
dead
asleep
a pause or interval
a mark in a musical score indicating a pause of specific duration
prosody a pause in or at the end of a line; caesura
a shelter or lodging: a seaman's rest
a thing or place on which to put something for support or to steady it; prop
billiards snooker any of various special poles used as supports for the cue in shots that cannot be made using the hand as a support
come to rest to slow down and stop
lay to rest to bury (a dead person)
set someone's mind at rest to reassure someone or settle someone's mind
to take or give rest, as by sleeping, lying down, etc
to place or position (oneself, etc) for rest or relaxation
(tr) to place or position for support or steadying: to rest one's elbows on the table
(intr) to be at ease; be calm
to cease or cause to cease from motion or exertion; halt
to lie dead and buried
(intr) to remain without further attention or action: let the matter rest
to direct (one's eyes) or (of one's eyes) to be directed: her eyes rested on the sleeping child
to depend or cause to depend; base; rely: the whole argument rests on one crucial fact
to place or be placed, as blame, censure, etc
to put pastry in a cool place to allow the gluten to contract
(intr ; foll by with, on, upon, etc) to be a responsibility (of): it rests with us to apportion blame
law to finish the introduction of evidence in (a case)
rest on one's laurels See laurel (def. 9)
rest on one's oars
to stop rowing for a time
to stop doing anything for a time
Origin of rest
1Derived forms of rest
- rester, noun
British Dictionary definitions for rest (2 of 2)
/ (rɛst) /
something left or remaining; remainder
the others: the rest of the world
(copula) to continue to be (as specified); remain: rest assured
Origin of rest
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with rest
In addition to the idioms beginning with rest
- rest assured
- rest on one's laurels
also see:
- at rest
- lay at rest
- lay to rest
- set one's mind at rest
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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