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
1
: to stand watch over (someone or something)
especially
: to hold a wake over
waker
noun
1
: the state of being awake
2
a(1)
: an annual English parish festival formerly held in commemoration of the church's patron saint
(2)
b
: the festivities originally connected with the wake of an English parish church
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
c
British
: an annual holiday or vacation
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
3
: a watch held over the body of a dead person prior to burial and sometimes accompanied by festivity
1
: the track left by a moving body (such as a ship) in a fluid (such as water)
broadly
: a track or path left
Cite this Entry
“Wake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share