'Vigil' definitions:
Definition of 'vigil'
From: WordNet
Definition of 'Vigil'
From: GCIDE
- Vigil \Vig"il\, n. [OE. vigile, L. vigilia, from vigil awake, watchful, probably akin to E. wake: cf. F. vigile. See Wake, v. i., and cf. Reveille, Surveillance, Vedette, Vegetable, Vigor.]
- 1. Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. "Worn out by the labors and vigils of many months." --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
- Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the card table and those cutting passions which attend them. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises. [1913 Webster]
- So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate. --Neale (Rhythm of St. Bernard). [1913 Webster]
- 3. (Eccl.) (a) Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast. (b) Later, the day and the night preceding a feast. [1913 Webster]
- He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors, And say, "To-morrow is St. Crispian." --Shak. [1913 Webster] (c) A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast. [1913 Webster]
- Vigils of flowers or Watchings of flowers (Bot.), a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals at certain hours of the day. [R.] [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'vigil'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- alertness,
- all-night vigil,
- bedtime prayer,
- camp meeting,
- church,
- church service,
- compline,
- consciousness,
- custodianship,
- custody,
- devotions,
- divine service,
- duty,
- eagle eye,
- evening devotions,
- evensong,
- exercises,
- guard,
- guardedness,
- guardianship,
- insomnia,
- insomniac,
- insomnolence,
- insomnolency,
- invigilation,
- lauds,
- lidless vigil,
- liturgy,
- lookout,
- Mass,
- matins,
- meeting,
- monitoring,
- morning devotions,
- night song,
- none,
- nones,
- novena,
- observance,
- office,
- peeled eye,
- praise meeting,
- prayer,
- prayer meeting,
- prayers,
- prime,
- prime song,
- proctoring,
- prudence,
- public worship,
- qui vive,
- restlessness,
- revival,
- revival meeting,
- sentience,
- service,
- sext,
- sharp eye,
- sleeplessness,
- stewardship,
- surveillance,
- tent meeting,
- tierce,
- tossing and turning,
- undersong,
- vesper,
- vespers,
- vigilance,
- vigils,
- wake,
- wakefulness,
- wariness,
- watch,
- watch and ward,
- watch meeting,
- watch night,
- watch-night service,
- watchful eye,
- watchfulness,
- watching,
- weather eye