rest

I. rest¹ S1 W1 /rest/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑rest, ↑unrest, ↑restlessness; adjective: ↑restless, ↑rested, ↑restful; adverb: ↑restlessly, ↑restfully; verb: ↑rest]
[Sense 1, 8-9: Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: reste, from rester 'to remain', from Latin restare]
[Sense 2-7, 10-12: Language: Old English; Origin: 'rest, bed']
1. RELAXING [uncountable and countable] a period of time when you are not doing anything tiring and you can relax or sleep:
You look exhausted! Why don’t you take a rest?
2. the rest what is left after everything or everyone else has gone or been used, dealt with, or mentioned ⇨ remainder, leftovers:
You carry these two bags, and I’ll bring the rest.
Two of the attackers were killed, and the rest escaped.
the rest of
Does anyone want the rest of this pizza?
He’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
GRAMMAR
Use a singular verb after the rest if you are referring to an amount of something or a thing:
▪ The rest of the money was used to pay for the wedding.
Use a plural verb if you are referring to a group of people or things:
▪ One child goes out of the room while the rest sit in a circle.
3. put/set sb’s mind at rest to make someone feel less anxious or worried:
Why don’t you talk to him, and put his mind at rest.
4. come to rest
a) to stop moving:
The aircraft skidded across the runway and finally came to rest in a cornfield.
b) if your eyes come to rest on something, you stop looking around and look at that one thing
come to rest on
My eyes came to rest on a photograph of a young man.
5. give it a rest spoken especially British English used to tell someone to stop talking about something because they are annoying you:
Give it a rest, Jack!
6. give something a rest spoken to stop doing an activity:
I gave the acting a rest for a while.
7. at rest
a) an expression meaning dead, and free from pain and problems
b) technical not moving
8. and all the rest of it British English spoken used at the end of a short list to mean other things of a similar type:
I was paying the rent and the bills and all the rest of it.
9. and the rest British English spoken used to emphasize in a humorous way that a number or amount is really much higher than someone thinks:
‘I’d say she’s about 40.’ ‘Yeah, and the rest!’
10. lay/put something to rest formal to stop people from worrying about or believing something:
The minister resigned, and the government hoped that the scandal would finally be laid to rest.
11. lay somebody to rest an expression meaning to bury someone, used when you want to avoid saying this directly:
She was laid to rest beside her husband.
12. MUSIC [countable]
a) a period of silence of a particular length in a piece of music
b) a written sign that shows how long the period of silence should be
⇨ ↑headrest, ↑footrest, ↑backrest, ⇨ and the rest is history at ↑history(10)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have/take a rest I’m going upstairs to have a rest.
▪ get some rest You’d better get some rest if you’re driving back tonight.
▪ deserve a rest I think we deserve a rest after all that hard work.
■ adjectives
▪ a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard) Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season.
▪ a complete rest The doctor had advised a complete rest for a fortnight.
▪ a little/short rest He decided to stop and take a short rest.
▪ a long rest What I need is a nice long rest.
▪ a good rest (=a complete rest that relaxes you) I’m sure you need a good rest.
■ rest + NOUN
▪ a rest day/period The crew had a three hour rest period before their next flight.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rest

I [re̱st]QUANTIFIER USES
♦♦
1) QUANT: QUANT of def-n The rest is used to refer to all the parts of something or all the things in a group that remain or that you have not already mentioned.
  It was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life...
  I'm going to throw a party, then invest the rest of the money...
  He was unable to travel to Barcelona with the rest of the team.
PRON
Rest is also a pronoun. Only 55 per cent of the raw material is canned. The rest is thrown away, or fed to cows.
2) PHRASE (vagueness) You can add and the rest or all the rest of it to the end of a statement or list when you want to refer in a vague way to other things that are associated with the ones you have already mentioned. [SPOKEN]
  ...a man with nice clothes, a Range Rover and the rest...
  And what about racism and all the rest of it?
  Syn:
  and so on, et ceteraII [re̱st]VERB AND NOUN USES
♦♦
rests, resting, rested
(Please look at category 18 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.)
1) VERB If you rest or if you rest your body, you do not do anything active for a time.
  He's tired and exhausted, and has been advised to rest for two weeks...
  [V n] Try to rest the injured limb as much as possible.
2) N-VAR If you get some rest or have a rest, you do not do anything active for a time.
  `You're worn out, Laura,' he said. `Go home and get some rest.'...
  After I've had a good rest, I'll tell you everything.
3) VERB If something such as a theory or someone's success rests on a particular thing, it depends on that thing. [FORMAL]
  [V on/upon n/wh] Such a view rests on a number of incorrect assumptions...
  [V on/upon n/wh] The long-term future of the country rests on how we teach our children.
  Syn:
  hang, depend
4) VERB If authority, a responsibility, or a decision rests with you, you have that authority or responsibility, or you are the one who will make that decision. [FORMAL]
  [V with n] The judge said that `whether Miss Bergman wishes to admit it or not, the responsibility rests with her.'...
  [V with n] The final decision rested with the President.
5) VERB If you rest something somewhere, you put it there so that its weight is supported.
  [V n prep] He rested his arms on the back of the chair...
  [V n prep] He rested one of his crutches against the rail.
  Syn:
  lean
6) V-ERG If something is resting somewhere, or if you are resting it there, it is in a position where its weight is supported.
  [V prep/adv] His head was resting on her shoulder...
  [V n prep/adv] He had been resting his head in his hands, deep in thought.
7) VERB If you rest on or against someone or something, you lean on them so that they support the weight of your body.
  [V prep] He rested on his pickaxe for a while.
  Syn:
  lean
8) N-COUNT: usu n N A rest is an object that is used to support something, especially your head, arms, or feet.
  When you are sitting, keep your elbow on the arm rest.
  Syn:
  support
9) VERB If your eyes rest on a particular person or object, you look directly at them, rather than somewhere else. [WRITTEN]
  [V on/upon n] As she spoke, her eyes rested on her husband's face.
  Syn:
  settle
10) → See also rested
11) PHRASE: V inflects When an object that has been moving comes to rest, it finally stops. [FORMAL]
  The plane had plowed a path through a patch of forest before coming to rest in a field.
  Syn:
  stop
12) PHRASE If you say that someone can rest easy, you mean that they don't need to worry about a particular situation.
  In that case, we can rest easy. Gagnier is the most helpful superintendent they have.
13) PHRASE: V inflects If someone tells you to give something a rest, they want you to stop doing it because it annoys them or because they think it is harming you. [INFORMAL]
  Give it a rest, will you? We're trying to get some sleep...
  I think you ought to give football a rest for a time.
14) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone who has died is laid to rest, you mean that they are buried.
  His dying wish was to be laid to rest at the church near his Somerset home.
15) PHRASE: V inflects If you lay something such as fears or rumours to rest or if you put them to rest, you succeed in proving that they are not true.
  His speech should lay those fears to rest...
  I am determined to put to rest these rumours that we are in financial trouble.
  Syn:
  allay
16) PHRASE: V inflects If someone refuses to let a subject rest, they refuse to stop talking about it, especially after they have been talking about it for a long time.
  I am not prepared to let this matter rest...
  Let it rest, Rachel. Leave her in peace.
  Syn:
  drop
17) PHRASE: V and N inflect To put someone's mind at rest or set their mind at rest means to tell them something that stops them worrying.
  She was quick to put his mind at rest. `Mrs Barrett will be delighted to have your brothers back,' she said...
  A brain scan last Friday finally set his mind at rest.
  Syn:
  reassure
18) rest assured → see assured
to rest on your laurels → see laurel
to rest in peace → see peace

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

²rest noun, pl rests
1 : a period of time in which you relax, sleep, or do nothing after you have been active or doing work

[noncount]

• a day of rest
• I was ordered to get some rest.
• None of us had/got much rest last night.

[count]

- usually singular
• I need a rest. [=break]
• The coach canceled practice to give his team a rest.
• a 10-minute rest period
- see also bed rest
2 [noncount] : a state in which there is no motion
• an object in a state of rest
3 [count] : an object that is designed to support or hold something
• a knife/spoon rest
• the violin's chin rest
- see also armrest, footrest, headrest
4 [count]
a : a period of silence between musical notes
b : a symbol in music that shows a period of silence between notes
at rest
1 : not moving
• The object is at rest. [=motionless]
2 : no longer living : dead
• After years of suffering, she is finally at rest.
3 : in a relaxed and comfortable state
• You can set/put your mind at rest. [=you can relax and stop worrying]
come to rest : to stop moving
• The ball came to rest against the curb.
• Her eyes came to rest on a mysterious man. [=she stopped looking around and looked at the mysterious man]
give it a rest informal
- used to tell someone to stop talking about something
• Oh, give it a rest! I don't want to hear it.
give (something) a rest informal : to stop doing or using (something)
• Hey, give the TV remote a rest and go outside to play!
lay (someone) to rest : to bury (someone who has died) - usually used as (be) laid to rest
• She was laid to rest in the church's graveyard.
lay/put to rest (something) or lay/put (something) to rest : to make someone stop thinking about or believing (something) by showing it is not true
• I want to lay/put to rest any lingering doubts about my decision.

- compare ¹rest

¹rest /ˈrɛst/ noun
the rest : the part that is left when other people or things are gone, used, etc.
• You bring these bags in, and I'll bring the rest. [=the remainder]
• Thanks for your help. I can handle the rest.
• Linda, Joan, Donna, and the rest
- often + of
• He would regret that decision for the rest of his life.
• She went shopping and spent the rest of her money on dinner.
• We finished the rest of the cake.
• He worked in the morning and relaxed (for) the rest of the day.