sleep
The crusty bits that gather in the corners of your eyes overnight.
Also called sleep dust, sleep seed.
Updated September 24, 2026
sleep pronunciation
/SLEEP/
Meaning
In rural Southern and Appalachian talk, sleep is not only what you do in bed. It is also the little gummy crust that builds up while you are out cold. Mama tells you to wipe the sleep out before you come to the table. Kids get it said to them most, but grown folks still know the word.
How folks use it
- “Wipe that sleep out of your eyes before you go to school.”
- “He stumbled into the kitchen with sleep stuck in both corners.”
Origin and etymology
From the ordinary English word for resting at night. The eye-crust sense is old too, and it hung on strong in Southern and Appalachian family speech after a lot of other places dropped it for words like "eye boogers" or more clinical talk. Exact path into redneck kitchens is murky, but the morning-chore use is well worn.
Frequently asked questions
Does sleep mean sex here?
Not in this entry. "Sleep with" can mean that in plain English. The Southern slang sense here is the crust in your eyes.