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- put to sleep
put to sleep
put (someone or an animal) to sleep
1. to cause someone or an animal to sleep, perhaps through drugs or anesthesia. The doctor put the patient to sleep before the operation. I put the cat to sleep by stroking its tummy.
2. Euph. to kill someone or an animal. We had to put our dog to sleep. The robber said he'd put us to sleep forever if we didn't cooperate.
put someone to sleep
1. to bore someone. That dull lecture put me to sleep. Her long story just put me to sleep.
2. Go to put someone or an animal to sleep.
put somebody to sleep
1. to bore someone very much I tried reading one of her novels, but it just put me to sleep. All those technical discussions put everyone to sleep.
2. to help someone sleep The sound of the crickets puts me to sleep every night.
put something to sleep
to kill an animal medically put something down Mitzie is an old, sick cat, and I think we may have to put her to sleep.
put to sleep
1. Bore utterly, as in That show put me to sleep. This hyperbolic term implies that something is so dull one could fall asleep.
2. Kill, especially as a kindness, as in We had to put the cat to sleep. This euphemism dates from the mid-1900s.
3. Subject to anesthesia, as in This injection will put you to sleep so you won't feel any pain.
put to sleep
1. To make weary; bore.
2. To subject to euthanasia.
3. To subject to general anesthesia.