waking
Variant of wake
wake (wāk)
intransitive verb woke, waked, waked, woken wok′en, waking wak′·ing
- to come out of sleep or a state like or suggestive of sleep, as a stupor or trance; awake: often with up
- to be or stay awake
- to become active or animated after inactivity or dormancy: often with up
- to become alert (to a realization, possibility, etc.)
- wakedChiefly Dial. to keep watch or vigil; esp., to hold a wake over a corpse
Etymology: ME wakien < OE wacian, to be awake & wacan, to arise, akin to Ger wachen < IE base *weĝ-, to be active > L vegere, to arouse, be active, Sans vāja-, strength, speed
transitive verb
- to cause to wake from or as from sleep: often with up
- to arouse, excite, or stir up (passions, etc.) or evoke (a sound, echo, etc.)
- wakedChiefly Dial. to keep watch or vigil over; esp., to hold a wake over (a corpse)
noun
- Now Rare the state of being awake
- a watch over or viewing of a corpse before burial, formerly often with festivities
- Anglican Ch. an annual parish festival, originally held in honor of a patron saint
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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