What it means
A cat nap is a quick little sleep you grab when you're shattered but not fully settling in for a proper kip. Usually it's ten to thirty minutes, just enough to shut your eyes, drift off, then bounce back a bit more human. Handy on the sofa, on a train, or on your lunch break, though if you overdo it you can wake up feeling rough.
Usage examples
"I’m done in, gonna have a cat nap on the sofa. Wake me in 20, then we’ll grab a cuppa and crack on."
"I had a quick cat-nap on the train and woke up just before my stop."
"A ten-minute cat-nap after lunch and I'm good for the rest of the day."
"I'm not going proper bed, just having a cat nap before we head out again."
"Had a cat nap in the back seat and now I'm weirdly refreshed."
Where it comes from
The phrase is old and comes from the way cats sleep in short, light bursts, then snap awake in a flash. English has used cat-nap since at least the early 1800s for a brief doze that isn't a full sleep, just a tiny recharge stolen from the day.
Other ways to say it
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