a traditional children's story about a princess who falls asleep and cannot wake up because a witch has put a spell (= a condition caused by magic) on her. A hundred years later, a prince finds her and kisses her. The kiss breaks the spell and she wakes up. The story is often used in British pantomimes.
used to refer to somebody who has been asleep for a long time
Example:
- OK, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up.