\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, or the state of being awake;
   sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. ``Worn out by the
   labors and vigils of many months.'' --Macaulay.

         Nothing wears out a fine face like the vigils of the
         card table and those cutting passions which attend
         them.                                 --Addison.

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

         So they in heaven their odes and vigils tuned.
                                               --Milton.

         Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate.
                                               --Neale
                                               (Rhythm of St.
                                               Bernard).

3. (Eccl.)
   (a) Originally, the watch kept on the night before a
       feast.
   (b) Later, the day and the night preceding a feast.

             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.
   (c) A religious service performed in the evening preceding
       a feast.

{Vigils, or Watchings}, {of flowers} (Bot.), a peculiar
   faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of
   opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the
   day. [R.]