See Also: vigil(medicine)
vigil(dictionary)
vigil(dictionary)
coma vigil(medicine)
Vigil 2001, SICAV, S.A.(finance)

vigil (iou)



vigil noun & verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French vigile from Latin vigilia watch, wakefulness, from vigil awake, alert, rel. to vigere be vigorous or lively.]
A. noun.
Ecclesiastical. The eve of a festival or holy day, as an occasion of religious observance. ME.
b. A devotional watch, esp. the watch kept on the eve of a festival or holy day; a nocturnal service or devotional exercise. Usu. in pl. LME.
Pope Visits to ev'ry Church we daily paid..The Stations duly, and the Vigils kept.
c. In pl. Prayers said or sung at a nocturnal service, esp. for the dead. L15.
A wake. rare. LME-E17.
Each of the four watches into which the ancient Romans divided the night. LME-M17.
The action of keeping watch, orig. spec. devotional watch. Freq. in keep vigil. LME.
P. Bailey My parents kept vigil in a room in the hospital.
gen. An occasion or period of keeping awake for any reason or purpose during a time usually given to sleep. L17.
J. Beerbohm Some companion to enliven my weary vigil.
b. A stationary and peaceful demonstration in support of a particular cause, usu. characterized by the absence of speeches or other explicit advocacy of the cause. M20.
Gay Times Candlelit vigils..against the murder..are to take place at French embassies.
A period of wakefulness or insomnia. rare. M18.
b. verb intrans. Keep a vigil or vigils. rare. L19.
Peace News They vigiled and sang outside the cruise control base.