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noun

rest

rehst
noun
1
Relief from work or activity, especially by sleeping or relaxing.
"You need to get some rest before the long drive tomorrow."
"The doctor recommended bed rest for a week."
2
The remaining part of something; what is left over.
"She ate half the pizza and saved the rest for later."
3
A pause of a specific length in a piece of music, or the symbol marking it.
"The composer added a two-beat rest before the final chorus."
verb
1
To stop working or moving in order to relax or recover.
"He sat down to rest after climbing the stairs."
2
To lean, lie, or be supported on something.
"She rested her head on his shoulder."
3
To depend or be based on something.
"The whole case rests on a single piece of evidence."

How to Use Rest

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo stop and relax, or, as a noun, everything that's left over.

Common mistake

As a computing term, "REST" (all caps, an API architecture) is unrelated to the everyday word "rest" — don't conflate the two.

Common pairings
rest assured the rest of get some rest rest on

Word Forms

rested past tense, rested past tense, rested past tense, rests plural, rests singular, rests singular, rests singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

You need to get some _____ before the long drive tomorrow.

Etymology

From Old English ræst, related to German Rast and Dutch rust, ultimately going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to rest, calm down."

Related Words

Rhymes for rest

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial