abbiocco

What it means

1. 1.

   The overwhelming drowsiness that follows a large meal. Roman in origin, now understood nationally, and with no single-word English equivalent.

Examples with translations

• Dopo pranzo mi viene sempre l'abbiocco.

  I always get sleepy after lunch.

• Ho un abbiocco pazzesco.

  I'm unbelievably drowsy.

Where it comes from

From Roman dialect, related to a verb for a hen settling onto her eggs. The image is of sinking down and refusing to move.