an island in the western Pacific between Guam and Hawaii
"The cruise ship made a brief stop at Wake Island to let passengers stretch their legs before continuing across the vast Pacific."
The act of waking, or state of being awake.
"The captain watched as their vessel cut through the calm bay, leaving a long white wake trailing behind them."
A period after a person's death before or after the body is buried, cremated, etc.; in some cultures accompanied by a party and/or collectively sorting through the deceased's personal effects.
The path left behind a ship on the surface of the water.
In plain English: A wake is a gathering of friends and family to remember someone who has died.
"The early morning wake was filled with laughter and stories from everyone who came to remember him."
be awake, be alert, be there
"The alarm didn't ring, but I woke up just in time to catch the bus."
(often followed by up) To stop sleeping.
"The loud noise from the construction site finally woke me up, leaving me groggy and ready to start my day."
In plain English: To wake means to stop sleeping and start being awake.
"The loud noise woke me up from a deep sleep."
Usage: Use wake to describe the moment you naturally or forcibly cease sleeping, often paired with up. Distinguish it from awake, which describes the state of being conscious rather than the action of stopping sleep.
A surname.
"Did you hear that Mr. Wake is running for mayor next year?"
The word wake comes from Old English verbs meaning "to become alert" or "to stir," which merged together in Middle English to form the modern term. It traveled into English with its original sense of waking up from sleep, retaining that core meaning over time.