vigil

Plural: vigils

Noun

A period of watchful attention, especially during normal sleeping hours.
a period of sleeplessness
the rite of staying awake for devotional purposes (especially on the eve of a religious festival)
a purposeful surveillance to guard or observe
An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.
A period of observation or surveillance at any hour.
The eve of a religious festival in which staying awake is part of the ritual devotions.
A quiet demonstration in support of a cause.

Verb

To participate in a vigil.

Examples

He kept a strategic vigil over the board, waiting for the perfect moment to play ’QUIXOTIC’.
His dog kept vigil outside the hospital for eight days while he was recovering from an accident.
The protesters kept vigil outside the conference centre in which the party congress was being held.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English vigile (“a devotional watching”), from Old French vigile, from Latin vigilia (“wakefulness, watch”), from vigil (“awake”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”). Doublet of Wigilia. See also wake and vigor, from the same root.

Synonyms

watch, look-out, lookout, qui vive

Scrabble Score: 9

vigil: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
vigil: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
vigil: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

vigil: valid Words With Friends Word