Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Inducing or tending to induce sleep; soporific.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Causing or tending to cause sleep; soporific.
  • Sleepy; somnolent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Causing sleep; somniferous; soporific.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective archaic soporific, sleep-inducing

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective inducing mental lethargy
  • adjective sleep inducing

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The invalid held up, as if in thankfulness, his wasted hands to Heaven, and resisting no longer the soporiferous operation of the elixir, sunk down in a gentle sleep.

    The Talisman 2008

  • Into this cavern the sun never enters, and a perpetual stillness reigns, no noise being heard but the soft murmur caused by a stream of the river Lethe, which creeps over the pebbles, and invites to slumber; at its entrance grow poppies, and other soporiferous herbs.

    Roman Antiquities, and Ancient Mythology For Classical Schools (2nd ed) Charles K. Dillaway

  • Amongst them all the father of the child remooved with his owne hands the stone of the Sepulchre, and found his Sonne rising up after his dead and soporiferous sleepe, whom when he beheld, he imbraced him in his armes, and presented him before the people, with great joy and consolation, and as he was wrapped and bound in his grave, so he brought him before the

    The Golden Asse Lucius Apuleius

  • Its seed is prepared medicinally, being astringent and somewhat sedative; "So soporiferous," says Gerard, "that care must be had in the administration thereof, lest in provoking sleep you induce a drowsiness, or dead sleep."

    Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure William Thomas Fernie

  • Petronius, in the time of Nero, A.D. 80, "delivered an odd receipt for dressing dormouse sausages, and serving them up with Poppies and honey, which must have been a very soporiferous dainty, and as good as owl pye to such as want a nap after dinner."

    Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure William Thomas Fernie

  • All this I was told; for, while the whole operation was performing, I lay in a profound sleep, by the force of that soporiferous medicine infused into my liquor.

    Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 5 Charles Herbert Sylvester

  • "Whence I conclude," said Fritz, addressing himself, "that my orations must be somewhat soporiferous."

    Willis the Pilot Paul Adrien

  • All this I was told, for while the whole operation was performing, I lay in a profound sleep, by the force of that soporiferous medicine infused into my liquor.

    Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year 1923

  • Pronounce, define, and use in sentences: prosperous league inhabitant pulley perceived violent forty soporiferous syllable morsel dexterity metropolis intrepidity diminutive parallel hospitality

    Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year 1923

  • The atmosphere is soporiferous, hardly conducive to editorial inspiration, and I find the commingled flavours of red-cedar, glue and rubber quite nourishing.

    The Fortune Hunter Louis Joseph Vance 1906

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