wake
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /weɪk/
ipa: /weːk/
homophone: Wake
rhymes: -eɪk
Forms: form: wakes
Etymology: From Middle English wake, from Old English wacu, from Proto-Germanic *wakō, related to the verb *wakjaną.
Senses: examples: text: Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep.
ref: c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
text: Singing her flatteries to my morning wake.
ref: 1677 (first performance), John Dryden, All for Love: Or, The World Well Lost. A Tragedy, […], [London]: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb, for Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
text: After a few weeks of age, longer periods of sleep and wake are seen […]
ref: 2013, William H. Moorcroft, Understanding Sleep and Dreaming, page 27:
glosses: The act of waking, or state of being awake.
examples: text: The warlike wakes continued all the night,
 And funeral games played at new returning light.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: The wood nymphs, deckt with daises trim,
 Their merry wakes and pastimes keep.
ref: 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
english: Comus
translation: Comus
glosses: The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.
examples: text: Where any person has died whilst being, or suspected of being, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease, the Director may by order prohibit the conduct of a wake over the body of that person or impose such conditions as he thinks fit on the conduct of such wake […]
ref: 2003, Section 14(1)(a), Infectious Diseases Act (Cap. 137, R. Ed. 2003)
glosses: A period after a person's death before or after the body is buried, cremated, etc.; in some cultures accompanied by a party or collectively sorting through the deceased's personal effects.
examples: text: 1523–1525, Jean Froissart, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners (translator), Froissart's Chronicles
Great solemnities were made in all churches, and great fairs and wakes throughout all England.
text: And every village smokes at wakes with lusty cheer.
ref: 1612, Michael Drayton, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC:
glosses: A yearly parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the dedication of a church. Originally, prayers were said on the evening preceding, and hymns were sung during the night, in the church; subsequently, these vigils were discontinued, and the day itself, often with succeeding days, was occupied in rural pastimes and exercises, attended by eating and drinking.
glosses: A number of vultures assembled together.
Derived terms: lich-wake
wake-on-LAN
wake-sleep algorithm
wake word
Related terms: arval
arvel
shiva
shivah