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wake

Nautical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The track of disturbed water left behind a moving ship, spreading out astern.

Detailed Definition
The wake is the visible trace of passage, the white furrow that elongates behind the vessel until it dissolves into the general sea. In poetry, it is the supreme emblem of memory, legacy, and the marks we leave upon the world. The wake is proof that we have passed, yet it also demonstrates how quickly evidence fades. Poets use the wake to meditate on transience, the rearward glance, and the haunting sense of what is left behind. Its widening taper—narrow at the stern, broad at the horizon—suggests the expanding influence of actions over time, while its eventual disappearance counsels humility.
Example
Example in poetry:
The wake in poetry is the supreme emblem of memory, legacy, and the marks we leave upon the world.; The wake is proof that we have passed, yet it also demonstrates how quickly evidence fades.; Poets use the wake to meditate on transience, the rearward glance, and the haunting sense of what is left behind.; Its widening taper—narrow at the stern, broad at the horizon—suggests the expanding influence of actions over time.; The wake is the track of disturbed water left behind a moving ship.; Its eventual disappearance counsels humility.
Additional Notes
The wake is the track of disturbed water left behind a moving ship. In poetry, it is the supreme emblem of memory, legacy, and the marks we leave upon the world. The wake is proof that we have passed, yet it also demonstrates how quickly evidence fades. Poets use the wake to meditate on transience, the rearward glance, and the haunting sense of what is left behind. Its widening taper—narrow at the stern, broad at the horizon—suggests the expanding influence of actions over time, while its eventual disappearance counsels humility and the acceptance of oblivion.
Other Meanings of “wake”
Also Known As
Stern wave wash trail backwash arval sillage Vigil
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