First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
waken
verb wak·en \ˈwā-kən\
: to stop sleeping or to cause (someone) to stop sleeping
wak·enedwak·en·ing \ˈwāk-niŋ, ˈwā-kə-\
Full Definition of WAKEN
intransitive verb
: awake —often used with up
transitive verb
: to rouse especially out of sleep : wake
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Origin of WAKEN
Middle English waknen, from Old English wæcnian; akin to Old Norse vakna to awaken, Old English wæccan to watch
WAKEN Defined for Kids
waken
verb wak·en \ˈwā-kən\
wak·enedwak·en·ing
Definition of WAKEN for Kids
: 1wake 1 <The sound of thunder wakened me.>
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