Asleep means in a state of sleep, not awake. It can also describe a body part that feels numb or tingly because blood flow was briefly blocked.
From Old English “on slæpe” meaning “in sleep,” which blended over time into “asleep.” The “a-” comes from an old preposition meaning “in” or “on.”
When your foot “falls asleep,” it’s not really sleeping—it’s your nerves complaining about lost blood flow. The same word covers deep dreaming and that weird pins-and-needles feeling, both times when normal sensation is switched off.
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