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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Vigil \Vig"il\, n. [OE. vigile, L. vigilia, from vigil awake,
watchful, probably akin to E. wake: cf. F. vigile. See
{Wake}, v. i., and cf. {Reveille}, {Surveillance}, {Vedette},
{Vegetable}, {Vigor}.]
1. Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is
customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state
of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. "Worn
out by the labors and vigils of many months." --Macaulay.
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Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the
card table and those cutting passions which attend
them. --Addison.
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2. Hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other
religious exercises.
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So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned.
--Milton.
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Be sober and keep vigil,
The Judge is at the gate. --Neale
(Rhythm of St.
Bernard).
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3. (Eccl.)
(a) Originally, the watch kept on the night before a
feast.
(b) Later, the day and the night preceding a feast.
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He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,
And say, "To-morrow is St. Crispian." --Shak.
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(c) A religious service performed in the evening preceding
a feast.
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{Vigils of flowers} or {Watchings of flowers} (Bot.), a
peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain
plants of opening and closing their petals at certain
hours of the day. [R.]
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