rapid eye movement

noun

: a rapid conjugate movement of the eyes associated especially with REM sleep

Examples of rapid eye movement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An extremely unusual sleep disorder, in which people can move during REM, or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep, is also a key early sign, according to research. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 7 May 2025

Alcohol suppresses rapid eye movement sleep, increases wakefulness in the latter half of the night, and impairs the body’s ability to enter restorative deep sleep. —Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

The data showed that, while mice were in their non–rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep, the concentration of tracer moved rhythmically. —Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

These are called rapid eye movements, REM for short. —Noam Hassenfeld, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rapid eye movement

• improvement

Kids Definition

rapid eye movement

noun

: rapid movement of the eyes which occurs during the dreaming period of sleep

Medical Definition

rapid eye movement

noun

rap·​id eye movement ˈrap-əd- 

: a rapid conjugate movement of the eyes associated especially with REM sleep

called also REM