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Added 9 October 2026

wake

/ˈweɪ̯k/ noun

Categories: NaturePlacesEveryday Words

In Latin: expergiscor, evigilo, evigilor Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wake at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event).
    the aftermath of war
  2. An island in the western Pacific between Guam and Hawaii.
  3. The wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward.
    the motorboat's wake capsized the canoe

verb

  1. Be awake, be alert, be there.
  2. Stop sleeping.
    She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock
  3. Arouse or excite feelings and passions.
    The ostentatious way of living of the rich ignites the hatred of the poor

Origin

A merger of two verbs of related/similar form and meaning: * Middle English waken, Old English wacan, from Proto-West Germanic *wakan, from Proto-Germanic *wakaną. * Middle English wakien, Old English wacian, from Proto-West Germanic *wakēn, from Proto-Germanic *wakāną.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: wakenawakenawakearouseviewingbackwashaftermathawakeningwakey

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