Word of the Day

: July 4, 2009

invigilate

verb in-VIJ-uh-layt

What It Means

: to keep watch : supervise, monitor

invigilate in Context

Theodore sat in his favorite chair on the back deck, sipped his coffee, and invigilated the activities of his grandchildren as they played in the yard.

Did You Know?

Keep your eyes open and you're sure to spot a few relatives of today's word. "Invigilate" is a descendant of the Latin verb "vigilare," meaning "to stay awake." As you may have guessed, "vigilare" is the ancestor of our adjective "vigilant" ("alertly watchful"), and it also gives us "reveille" ("a signal to wake up in the morning," via French "reveiller") and "surveillance" ("close watch, supervision," via French "survéiller"). "Invigilate" has been a part of the English language since the mid-16th century.