Idiom
Cat nap
A cat nap is a short, light sleep, usually taken during the day.
How people use it
People take a cat nap on the couch, in a car or at their desk at lunch: "I grabbed a quick cat nap before the evening shift." It suggests something brief, often 10 to 30 minutes, and light enough that you wake easily. It is also used as a verb: "He catnapped on the train." Dictionaries usually spell it as one word, catnap, but the two-word form is common too. The tone is informal and friendly. A similar modern term is "power nap."
Also said: catnap, take a cat nap.
Examples
- Grandpa takes a cat nap in his armchair every afternoon.
- I had a quick cat nap on the bus and woke up feeling much better.
- Leo likes to catnap between classes to stay sharp.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from the way cats sleep: often, briefly and lightly, ready to wake at the smallest sound. It appears in American English in the early 1800s, and the verb form followed. The image has stayed popular because anyone who has lived with a cat has seen it in action.
Check yourself
1. What is a cat nap?
Answer: A short, light sleep. A cat nap is a brief, light rest, usually in the daytime.
2. Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Answer: Ben took a cat nap during his lunch break.. A cat nap is short, so a full night of sleep does not fit.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in NAP.