First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
vigil
vigil
noun vig·il \ˈvi-jəl\
: an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night
Full Definition of VIGIL
1
a : a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast with prayer or other devotions b : the day before a religious feast observed as a day of spiritual preparation c : evening or nocturnal devotions or prayers —usually used in plural
2
: the act of keeping awake at times when sleep is customary; also : a period of wakefulness
3
: an act or period of watching or surveillance : watch <kept vigil at her bedside>
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Examples of VIGIL
- <kept vigil at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital>
Origin of VIGIL
Middle English vigile, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin vigilia watch on the eve of a feast, from Latin, wakefulness, watch, from vigil awake, watchful; akin to Latin vigēre to be vigorous, vegēre to enliven — more at wake
Related to VIGIL
- Synonyms
- lookout, surveillance, watch
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