Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - rest

~1 n 1 the rest what is left after everything else has been used, dealt with, killed etc  (I got half way through reciting the poem and couldn't remember the rest. | At least four of the enemy were killed and the rest fled.) + of  (He'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.) 2 »RELAXING« a period of time when you are not doing anything tiring and you can relax or sleep  (The doctor says I need complete rest. | You'll feel much better after a good night's rest. | have/take a rest)  (You must be tired. Why don't you take a rest? | well-earned rest (=rest that you deserve because you have been working hard)) 3 put/set sb's mind at rest to make someone feel less anxious or worried  (I managed to set his mind at rest about my safety.) 4 come to rest a) to stop moving  (The car braked sharply, coming to rest on the edge of the cliff.) b) if your eyes come to rest on something, you stop looking around and look at that one thing 5 give it a rest! BrE spoken used to tell someone to stop talking about something because they are annoying you  (Oh, give it a rest! I don't want to hear about your job!) 6 at rest a) technical not moving  (Measure the mass of an object at rest.) b) an expression meaning dead, used to avoid upsetting someone  (He now lies at rest in the churchyard.) 7 lay/put sth to rest to get rid of a false idea or belief by showing that it is not true  (At last these dangerous rumours have been put to rest.) 8 and all the rest of it BrE spoken used at the end of a short list to mean other things of a similar type  (They accused me of being unreliable, irresponsible, and all the rest of it.) 9 for the rest BrE used to introduce a short final remark at the end of a speech or piece of writing  (For the rest, we can only guess the effect of these changes.) 10 and the rest! BrE 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!") 11 lay sb to rest an expression meaning to bury someone, used when you want to avoid saying this directly  (She was laid to rest in the graveyard behind the church.) 12 »IN MUSIC« 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 13 »SUPPORT« a support that you can rest your arm, head etc on ~2 v 1 »RELAX« to stop working or doing an activity for a time and sit down or lie down to relax  (If you're tired, we'll stop and rest for a while.) 2 rest your feet/legs/eyes etc to stop using a part of your body because it is feeling sore or tired 3 »GIVE SUPPORT« T always + adv/prep to support an object or part of your body by putting it on or against something  (rest sth against/on etc)  (Rest your head on my shoulder.) 4 »LIE/LEAN ON« to lie or lean on something for support + against/on etc  (The ladder rested against the wall. | She sat with her elbows resting on the table.) 5 let the matter rest also let it rest to stop discussing or dealing with something  (We could go on arguing but I think we'd better let the matter rest.) 6 rest assured (that) formal used to tell someone not to worry, because what you say about a situation is true  (You can rest assured that I will never tell anyone.) 7 will not rest until if you will not rest until something happens, you will not be satisfied until it happens  (We will not rest until the murderer is found.) 8 »LIE BURIED« a word meaning to lie buried, used when you do not want to say this directly  (My mother rests beside my father in the family graveyard. | last/final resting place (=the place where someone is buried))  (He decided Rome, where he had been so happy, would be his final resting place. | rest in peace (=often written on a grave)) 9 rest on your laurels to be satisfied with what you have done, so that you do not make any further effort 10 I rest my case spoken a) formal used by a lawyer when they have finished trying to prove something in a court of law b) humorous used when something happens or is said which proves that you were right rest on/upon sth phr v 1 formal to depend on or be based on something  (Success in management ultimately rests on good judgment.) 2 if your eyes rest on something, you look at it rest with sb phr v if a decision rests with someone, they are responsible for it  (The final decision rests with the President.)