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Definition of waken verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

waken

verb
 
/ˈweɪkən/
 
/ˈweɪkən/
(formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they waken
 
/ˈweɪkən/
 
/ˈweɪkən/
he / she / it wakens
 
/ˈweɪkənz/
 
/ˈweɪkənz/
past simple wakened
 
/ˈweɪkənd/
 
/ˈweɪkənd/
past participle wakened
 
/ˈweɪkənd/
 
/ˈweɪkənd/
-ing form wakening
 
/ˈweɪkənɪŋ/
 
/ˈweɪkənɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to wake, or make somebody wake, from sleep
    • waken (up) The child had just wakened.
    • waken somebody (up) I was wakened by a knock at the door.
    Which Word? awake / awaken / wake up / wakenawake / awaken / wake up / waken
    • Wake (up) is the most common of these verbs. It can mean somebody has finished sleeping: What time do you usually wake up? or that somebody or something has disturbed your sleep: The children woke me up.I was woken (up) by the telephone.
    • The verb awake is usually only used in writing and in the past tense awoke: She awoke to a day of brilliant sunshine. Waken and awaken are much more formal. Awaken is used especially in literature: The Prince awakened Sleeping Beauty with a kiss.
    • Awake is also an adjective: I was awake half the night worrying.Is the baby awake yet? Waking is not used in this way.
    see also asleep, sleep
  2. [transitive] waken something to make somebody remember something or feel something again
    • The dream wakened a forgotten memory.
  3. Word OriginOld English wæcnan ‘be aroused’, of Germanic origin; related to the verb wake.
See waken in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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