[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
      1913 webster

            nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the
            card table and those cutting passions which attend
            them.                                 --addison.
      1913 webster

   2. hence, devotional watching; waking for prayer, or other
      religious exercises.
      1913 webster

            so they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned.
                                                  --milton.
      1913 webster

            be sober and keep vigil,
            the judge is at the gate.             --neale
                                                  rhythm of st.
                                                  bernard.
      1913 webster

   3. eccl.
      a originally, the watch kept on the night before a
          feast.
      b later, the day and the night preceding a feast.
          1913 webster

                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.
          1913 webster
      c a religious service performed in the evening preceding
          a feast.
          1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
wake reveille surveillance vedette vegetable vigor 
vigils of flowers watchings of flowers 

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