doze1

[dohz] /doʊz/
verb (used without object), dozed, dozing.
1.
to sleep lightly or fitfully.
2.
to fall into a light sleep unintentionally (often followed by off):
He dozed off during the sermon.
3.
to sleep for a short time; nap.
4.
to be dull or half asleep.
verb (used with object), dozed, dozing.
5.
to pass or spend (time) in drowsiness (often followed by away):
He dozed away the afternoon.
noun
6.
a light or fitful sleep; nap.
Origin
1640-50; orig. (now obsolete) to stupefy, make drowsy; compare Scots, N England dialect dozened, Middle English (Scots) dosnyt, dosinnit stupefied, dazed; akin to Old Norse dūsa rest, Swedish dialect dusa doze, slumber, Middle Low German dusen to be thoughtless; cf. daze
Synonyms
6. snooze, siesta, catnap, forty winks.

doze2

[dohz] /doʊz/
verb (used with object), verb (used without object), dozed, dozing.
1.
Informal. to clear or level with a bulldozer.
Origin
1940-45; shortened form of bulldoze
Examples from the web for doze
  • For the rest of her layover, she does a crossword and tries to doze.
  • Others may doze momentarily when reading articles about demographic trends.
  • And there was no way for him to doze through this particular procedure.
  • One of them mops his perspiring face, others doze off and then wake up with a start and return to telling the rosary.
  • If he managed to doze, he would be roughly awakened.
  • doze reduces power during periods of inactivity by lowering processor speed and powering down unused logic and memory.
  • After a period of inactivity, the computer can enter doze, the first of three reduced-power modes.
  • In the doze mode, the system does not operate, but is capable of responding to activity with no delay.
  • Do not let yourself doze off or get too distracted by other things.
  • Without it you might doze off or zone out behind the wheel, even on the way to school or a friend's house.
British Dictionary definitions for doze

doze

/dəʊz/
verb (intransitive)
1.
to sleep lightly or intermittently
2.
(often foll by off) to fall into a light sleep
noun
3.
a short sleep
Derived Forms
dozer, noun
Word Origin
C17: probably from Old Norse dūs lull; related to Danish döse to drowse, Swedish dialect dusa slumber
Word Origin and History for doze
v.

1640s, probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse dusa "to doze," Danish døse "to make dull," Swedish dialectal dusa "to sleep"); related to Old English dysig "foolish" (see dizzy). May have existed in dialect earlier than attested date. Related: Dozed; dozing. As a noun, from 1731.