Definition of Vigil

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Definition of Vigil

Vigil

Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch.

Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other religious exercises.

Originally, the watch kept on the night before a feast.

Later, the day and the night preceding a feast.

A religious service performed in the evening preceding a feast.

Related Definitions:

Abstinence, Act, And, At, Awake, Before, Being, Customary, Day, Devotional, Evening, Feast, For, From, Hence, In, Is, Keeping, Kept, Later, Night, Not, Of, On, Or, Originally, Other, Performed, Prayer, Preceding, Religious, Service, Sleep, State, The, Time, Waking, Watch, Watching, When, Whether

Vigil Quotations

To look back is to relax one's vigil.
Bette Davis

The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in this long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.
Marc Chagall

It was one long, anxious, inexorable, eternal vigil.
Frank James

Vigil Translations

vigil in German is Nachtwache, Wachsein
vigil in Swedish is vaka, nattvak

Quotes