释义 |
vig·il \ˈvijə̇l\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English vigile, from Old French, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin vigilia watch on the eve of a religious festival, from Latin, wakefulness, watch, from vigil awake, alert; akin to Latin vigēre to be vigorous, flourish, vegēre to rouse, excite, be active — more at wake 1. a. : a watch formerly kept on the night before a religious feast and customarily spent in prayer or other devotions b. : the day before a religious feast observed as a day of spiritual preparation c. : a religious service on the morning of the day before a holy day 2. a. : evening or nocturnal devotions or prayers — usually used in plural b. : devotional watching < nobles standing vigil by the coffin of their dead monarch > 3. a. : the act or action of keeping awake especially at times when sleep is customary; also : a period of wakefulness < an all-night vigil spent awaiting the arrival of a celebrity > b. : unrelenting, hostile, or oppressive observation < guards keeping vigil over a noisy mob > also : a steady gaze or stare 4. a. : an act or action of wakeful watching : watch < keep vigil all night beside a sickbed > also : the period spent in wakeful watching b. : a protracted and usually lonely stay or sojourn < a five-month vigil near the polar ice pack > |