wakingn.
/ˈweɪkɪŋ/ The action of wake v.
1.
a. The action of remaining awake or of sitting up at night.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [noun] > action, fact, or instance of staying awake at night
waking1340
night waking1486
night-watching1509
sitting up1547
night sitting1644
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 52 Efterward ine zuyche wakinges me deþ manye kueades, ase playe ate ches oþer ate tables.
c1386 G. Chaucer Man of Law's Prol. 22 The tyme..steleth from vs, what pryuely slepynge And what thurgh necligence in oure wakynge.
1422 J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. 247 Myche wakynge makyth the body lene.
1477 Earl Rivers tr. Dictes or Sayengis Philosophhres (Caxton) (1877) lf. 17 Of thought cometh the wakyngis and vnrestis.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iii. iii. 18 Ne're was dreame So like a waking . View more context for this quotation
1638 J. Ford Fancies iii. 45 I am not So weary of th' authority I hold Over mine owne contents in sleepes and wakings.
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xxxii. 196 To say he hath seen a Vision..is to say, that he dreamed between sleeping and waking.
1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake i. 38 Days of danger, nights of waking.
1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop ii. lxiv. 160 Her eyes were..red with waking and crying.
b. spec. Keeping vigil as an act of devotion.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > sacrament > (extreme) unction > vigil > [noun]
watch971
wakingc1175
wakec1200
vigil?1504
pernoctation1633
setting-up1835
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 69 Vre rihte leue, god, cume to þe þurh festing and þurh wacunge.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 232 Him behoueþ wel wysliche his uless ouercome..be uestinges, be wakiinges and be benes.
c1386 G. Chaucer Parson's Tale ⁋1038 Bodily peyne..stant in preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges.
c1400 N. Love tr. Bonaventura Mirror Life Christ (1908) xxvii. 141 He..doth his tendre body to penaunce, and waketh long wakynges.
c1460 Wisdom 1030 in Macro Plays 69 Lo, wakynge ys a holy thynge!
1710 D. Hilman Tusser Redivivus June 16 Waking in the Church was left off because of some Abuses.
2. † b. One of the ‘watches’ or divisions of the night (Latin vigilia). Obsolete.
a. The action of watching, or keeping watch and ward; dialect a keeping watch or holding a ‘wake’ over a corpse.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > watching or keeping guard > [noun] > as a watchman or sentinel
wardOE
day watchOE
watch1377
watch and ward1390
wakingc1440
scout-watch1464
watching and warding1579
sentinel1585
day ward1597
romboyle1612
escouta1627
sentry1639
watchment1740
wardage1878
sentry-go1880
sentry-going1901
the world > life > death > obsequies > [noun] > vigil or wake
head-wardOE
watcha1325
vigilc1374
lyke-wakec1405
wake1412
latewake1667
waking1823
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 514/1 Wakynge, or wetche, vigilia.
c1440 York Myst. xxxviii. 357 Oure wakyng, lorde, with~outen wene Is worthed to noȝt.
1529 Reg. Privy Seal Scot. 30 Exemand hir fra all walking, warding, and paying of stent within the burgh of Edinburgh or outwith.
1572 Inv. Ketshange (Somerset Ho.) For kepinge of her and wackinge of her iijd.
1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd i. i Sang 1. Tune, The wawking of the faulds.
1823 ‘J. Bee’ Slang at Wake In England the body is sometimes placed in a coffin; in Ireland, seldom so, the waking being usually called for the purpose of procuring one.
a1894 R. L. Stevenson In South Seas (1896) iv. v. 337 Of home life we had but the one view: the waking of a corpse.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > day and night > night > [noun] > watch or period into which night was divided
watchc1000
night watchOE
quarterc1330
vigilc1380
wakingc1384
quarter-nightc1390
morning watch1535
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Matt. xiv. 25 In the fourthe wakyng of the niȝt [L. quarta vigilia noctis].
c1400 N. Love tr. Bonaventura Mirror Life Christ (1908) xxvii. 143 At the ferthe wakynge of the nyȝt.
3. The action of becoming awake or conscious, of ceasing to sleep. Also with up.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [noun] > action, act, or state of waking or being wakened > specific being or becoming awake
awaking1297
waking1377
experrection1603
evigilation1659
awakedness1922
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 1 Ac after my wakyng it was wonder longe Ar I couth kyndely knowe what was dowel.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 286/1 Wakyng after slepe, reueil.
1553 J. Bradford Serm. Repentaunce sig. Fviijv In this his synne thoughe a great whyle he laye a slepe (as many do now a dayes, god geue them wynne waking).
1609 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iv. i. 116 He and I Will watch thy waking [1599 walking].
1709 J. Addison Tatler No. 97 Their slumbers are sound, and their wakings chearful.
1860 J. W. Carlyle Lett. III. 63 My own wakings up some twenty or thirty times every night.
1864 G. A. Lawrence Maurice Dering II. 119 But, if Dering rested well, his waking was not so enviable.
4. The action of rousing (a person or animal) from sleep; †a night-attack. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > attack > [noun] > night-attack
waking1525
camisado1548
camisade1560
canvasado1605
night attack1763
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [noun] > action, act, or state of waking or being wakened > specific waking or rousing
waking1525
1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Chron. (1812) II. xlix. 168 To close in theyr felde, to lodge therin more at theyr ease, without waking or skries.
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. x. sig. Dv It is euill wakyng of a slepyng dog.
1654 A. Johnston Diary (1919) II. 238 I took this as a warning and waking and alarum from the Lord to me.
Compounds
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > impost, due, or tax > payment or service to feudal superior > [noun] > payment in lieu of service > others
sharn-penny1200
reap-silver1299
salt-silver1363
shepherd silvera1377
waking-silver1390
carriagec1400
plough-silver1423
cuddy15..
reap-penny1843
1390–1 in J. T. Fowler Extracts Acct. Rolls Abbey of Durham (1901) III. 597 Item Will'o Patonson pro Argent. sibi dato, et sociis suis pro Wakyngsilvyr, 7s.
1546 in W. Page Certificates Chantries County of York (1894) I. 172 To the Kynges Majestie for waykyng sylver payd..to Pontfret Castell.
waking-time n. the time when one is awake; the moment at which one wakes up.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [noun] > action, act, or state of waking or being wakened > specific being or becoming awake > an act or instance of > moment of
waking-time1959
1959 T. S. Eliot Elder Statesman 5 To my wife, To whom I owe the leaping delight That quickens my senses in our wakingtime.
1971 H. Wilson Labour Govt. xv. 263 I asked for a sleeping pill, in case I came to at English waking-time, 4.00 a.m. in Washington.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
wakingadj.
/ˈweɪkɪŋ/ 1. That remains awake; that keeps watch; figurative that continues on the alert, vigilant, watchful.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > vigilance > [adjective]
wakerc1000
watchingOE
wakingc1175
wakerlyc1400
circumspect1430
vigilant?a1500
prick-eared?1550
invigilant1570
vigil?1576
wakeful1589
eyeful1594
open-eyed1601
argus-eyed1603
watchful1603
alert1618
awake1619
vigilant1655
guardful1749
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [adjective] > wakeful or sleepless
wakrong1340
wakya1542
watchful1548
wakeful1549
vigilant1620
sleepless1633
waking1690
unslumbering1718
unslumbrous1818
slumberless1820
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 39 Drihten bi-hat þon wakiende ane crune.
a1500 (a1475) G. Ashby Dicta Philosophorum l. 715 in Poems (1899) 75 In your counsail be quick and ay wakyng.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 649 Bes wakond and warly.
1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 154 The Mastie that keepeth the house..must..be..very waking.
1601 in Foley Rec. Eng. Prov. S. J. (1880) VI. 735 He was thought negligent, and therefore they sent a wakinger spirit.
1620 T. May Heire (1622) ii. C 3 Were there a thousand waking Dragons set To keepe that golden fruit.
1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding ii. i. 40 The Soul in a waking Man is never without thought, because it is the condition of being awake.
1827 B. Disraeli Vivian Grey III. v. xv. 328 The screech of the waking owl.
2. That ceases to sleep, that becomes awake.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [adjective] > becoming awake
rewakinga1750
waking1794
1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho I. vii. 196 The breeze that..swells the melody of waking birds.
3. ‘Rousing from sleep; exciting into motion or action’.
ΚΠ
1828–32 in N. Webster Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. ; and in later Dicts.
4. transferred. Belonging to, characteristic of, one who wakes or is awake.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [adjective] > relating to one who wakes or is awake
waking1567
1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 66v And if in dawning chaunce some drouping sleepe to light Upon the carefull Corse that thus hath spent the waking night.
1637 J. Milton Comus 10 Such sober certainty of waking blisse I never heard till now.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 525 Thus haunting Ghosts appear to waking Sight.
1782 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Painting (ed. 3) V. 257 Realizing to his eyes the scenes of many a waking vision.
1833 L. Ritchie Wanderings by Loire 198 Our waking existence is made up almost entirely of anticipations and regrets.
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxxix. 395 Captain Cuttle could hardly believe it..though he saw it done with his waking eyes.
a1859 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. (1861) V. 94 The subject..was never, during two waking hours together, out of his thoughts.
Compounds
waking dream n. an involuntary vision occurring to one awake.
ΚΠ
1593 in R. S. Phœnix Nest 11 Farewell to you my hopes, my wonted waking dreames.
1624 J. Donne Deuotions xv. 368 Hee may bee ashamed of his waking dreames.
1785 W. Cowper Task iv. 289 A waking dream of houses, towers…expressed In the red cinders.
1875 L. Tollemache in Fortn. Rev. Mar. 331 Large bodies of men have what may be termed waking dreams; so that, without being either authors or dupes of imposture, they declare that they have seen what they have not seen.
Derivatives
ˈwakingly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > state of being awake > [adverb]
wakinglya1425
wakefully1776
wakerifely1825
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Ecclus. xiii. 17 And thou schalt wake. [Gloss] And in this thou schalt haue thee wakingli and diligently.
1482 Monk of Evesham 54 Hys father had apperyd .iij. nyghtis to gedyr to hys moeder wakyngly as sche was yn her prayers at home yn her chambyr.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Wakyngly, uigilanter.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.c1175adj.c1175