wake 1
— waker , n.
/wayk/ , v. , waked or woke, waked or woken, waking , n.
v.i.
1. to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often fol. by up ).
2. to become roused from a tranquil or inactive state; awaken; waken: to wake from one's daydreams.
3. to become cognizant or aware of something; awaken; waken: to wake to the true situation.
4. to be or continue to be awake: Whether I wake or sleep, I think of you.
5. to remain awake for some purpose, duty, etc.: I will wake until you return.
6. to hold a wake over a corpse.
7. to keep watch or vigil.
v.t.
8. to rouse from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often fol. by up ): Don't wake me for breakfast. Wake me up at six o'clock.
9. to rouse from lethargy, apathy, ignorance, etc. (often fol. by up ): The tragedy woke us up to the need for safety precautions.
10. to hold a wake for or over (a dead person).
11. to keep watch or vigil over.
n.
12. a watching, or a watch kept, esp. for some solemn or ceremonial purpose.
13. a watch or vigil by the body of a dead person before burial, sometimes accompanied by feasting or merrymaking.
14. a local annual festival in England, formerly held in honor of the patron saint or on the anniversary of the dedication of a church but now usually having little or no religious significance.
15. the state of being awake: between sleep and wake.
[ bef. 900; (v.) in sense "to become awake" continuing ME waken, OE * wacan (found only in past tense woc and the compounds onwacan, awacan to become awake; see AWAKE (v.)); in sense "to be awake" continuing ME waken, OE wacian (c. OFris wakia, OS wakon, ON vaka, Goth wakan ); in sense "to rouse from sleep" continuing ME waken, r. ME wecchen, OE weccan, prob. altered by assoc. with the other senses and with the k of ON vaka; (n.) ME: state of wakefulness, vigil (late ME: vigil over a dead body), prob. continuing OE * wacu (found only in nihtwacu night-watch); all ult. wak- be lively; akin to WATCH, VEGETABLE, VIGIL ]
Syn. 8. arouse. 9. stimulate, activate, animate, kindle, provoke.
Ant. 1. sleep.
wake 2
/wayk/ , n.
1. the track of waves left by a ship or other object moving through the water: The wake of the boat glowed in the darkness.
2. the path or course of anything that has passed or preceded: The tornado left ruin in its wake.
3. in the wake of ,
a. as a result of: An investigation followed in the wake of the scandal.
b. succeeding; following: in the wake of the pioneers.
[ 1540-50; wake, or ON vok hole in the ice ]