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."
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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.
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