somnolent: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for May 20 is:

somnolent \SAHM-nuh-lunt\ adjective
1 : of a kind likely to induce sleep
*2 a : inclined to or heavy with sleep : drowsy b : sleepy

Example sentence:
"I am no whit somnolent; I always hear best with my eyes shut." (Sir Walter Scott, _The Legend of Montrose_)

Did you know?
"Somnolent" first appeared in late 15th century in the redundant phrase "somnolent sleep." It came into English by way of Anglo-French from the Latin word "somnolentus," which itself comes from "somnus," meaning "sleep." Another offspring of "somnus" is "somnambulism," a synonym of "sleepwalking." "Insomnia" is also a member of this sleepy word family, though it might be considered the black sheep, since it means, of course, "the inability to sleep."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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