n.
Pronunciation: ' w ā k
Function: verb
Inflected Form: woke \ ' w ō k \ also waked \ w ā kt \ ; wo · ken \ ' w ō -k ə n \ or waked also woke ; wak · ing
Etymology: partly from Middle English waken (past wook, past participle waken ), from Old English wacan to awake (past w ō c, past participle wacen ); partly from Middle English wakien, waken (past & past participle waked ), from Old English wacian to be awake (past wacode, past participle wacod ); akin to Old English wæccan to watch, Latin veg ē re to enliven
Date: before 12th century
intransitive verb
1 a : to be or remain awake b archaic : to remain awake on watch especially over a corpse c obsolete : to stay up late in revelry
2 : AWAKE ― often used with up
transitive verb
1 : to stand watch over (as a dead body) especially : to hold a wake over
2 a : to rouse from or as if from sleep : AWAKE ― often used with up b : STIR , EXCITE < woke up latent possibilities ― Norman Douglas> c : to arouse conscious interest in : ALERT ― usually used with to < woke the public to the risks>
– wak · er noun