Etymology A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from Proto-Germanic *wakāną.
How long I slept I cannot tell, for I had nothing to guide me to the time, but woke at length, and found myself still in darkness.[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
2
(often followed by up) To make somebody stop sleeping; to rouse from sleep.
The neighbour's car alarm woke me from a strange dream.
And the Angell that talked with me, came againe and waked me, […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Zechariah 4:1:
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Figuratively To put in motion or action; to arouse; to excite.
Not for my life, leſt fierce remembrance wake My ſudden rage to tear thee joint by joint.1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 59:
Even Richard's crusade woke little interest in his island realm.1880, John Richard Green, History of the English People:
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Figuratively To be excited or roused up; to be stirred up from a dormant, torpid, or inactive state; to be active.
and gentle Aires due at thir hour To fan the Earth now wak'd,1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 93–94:
Then wake, my soul, to high desires, And earlier light thine altar fires: […]1827, [John Keble], “Easter Day”, in The Christian Year: Thoughts in Verse for the Sundays and Holydays throughout the Year, volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [B]y W. Baxter, for J. Parker; and C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 146:
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To watch, or sit up with, at night, as a dead body.
Dougal said that being alone with the dead on that floor of the tower (for naebody cared to wake Sir Robert Redgauntlet like another corpse) he had never daured^([sic]) to answer the call, but that now his conscience checked him for neglecting his duty; […]1824, Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet:
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To be or remain awake; not to sleep.
The father waketh for the daughter when no man knoweth, and the care for her taketh away sleepe;1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiasticus 42:9:
And oft though wiſdom wake, ſuspicion ſleeps At wiſdoms Gate,1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 696–697:
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, Book II, Chapter I I cannot think any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
Command unto the guards that they diligently wake.
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Obsolete To sit up late for festive purposes; to hold a night revel.
The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels.c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
Etymology From Middle English wake, from Old English wacu, from Proto-Germanic *wakō, related to the verb *wakjaną.
1
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.
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 […]2003, Section 14(1)(a), Infectious Diseases Act (Cap. 137, R. Ed. 2003)
2
The state of forbearing sleep, especially for solemn or festive purposes; a vigil.
The warlike wakes continued all the night, And funeral games played at new returning light.1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
The wood nymphs, deckt with daises trim, Their merry wakes and pastimes keep.1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [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:
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Church of England, Historical 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.
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.
And every village smokes at wakes with lusty cheer.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:
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Obsolete, Often, Poetic The act of waking, or state of being awake.
Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep.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]:
Singing her flatteries to my morning wake.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):
1 more example
After a few weeks of age, longer periods of sleep and wake are seen […]2013, William H. Moorcroft, Understanding Sleep and Dreaming, page 27:
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Collective A number of vultures assembled together.
Etymology Probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch wake, from or akin to Old Norse vǫk (“a hole in the ice”) ( > Danish våge, Icelandic vök), from Proto-Germanic *wakwō (“wetness”), from Proto-Indo-European *wegʷ- (“moist, wet”).
1
Nautical, Transport The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water.
2
The disturbance which follows an object, person or animal moving through water.
Figuratively The area behind a moving person or object.
The player left the rest of the field trailing in her wake.
This effect followed immediately in the wake of his earliest exertions.1826, Thomas De Quincey, “Lessing”, in Blackwood's Magazine:
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Several humbler persons […] formed quite a procession in the dusty wake of his chariot wheels.1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, →OCLC:
It was all of a piece. If you believed in capitalism, you had to attack science, because science had revealed the hazards that capitalism had brought in its wake.2010, Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway, chapter 5, in Merchants of Doubt:
Alex Song launched a long ball forward from the back and the winger took it down nicely on his chest. He cut across the penalty area from the right and after one of the three defenders in his wake failed to make a meaningful clearance, the Oxlade-Chamberlain was able to dispatch a low left-footed finish into the far corner.2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:
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Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics The perturbation behind a body moving through a fluid.