Reveilles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Morning signals traditionally sounded on a bugle to wake military personnel; the act or instance of rousing someone from sleep by a loud call; a ceremonial or musical call used to mark the start of the day in armed forces
2. A bugle tune played at dawn to awaken troops; the process of waking individuals from slumber with a loud alert; a formal musical signal signaling the beginning of daily activities in a military context
3. Military bugle calls issued at sunrise to summon soldiers; the event of bringing someone out of sleep by a distinctive sound; an official musical indication to commence morning routines among service members

Etymology: "Reveilles" is simply the plural of "reveille," so it refers to more than one such bugle call. The singular comes from French "réveillez," the imperative form of "réveiller," meaning "to wake." The French word is an order, literally "wake up!" or "awaken!" and that command was turned into the name of the signal itself. The French verb "réveiller" is built from the prefix "ré-," meaning "again," and "éveiller," "to rouse" or "to awaken." Military trumpeters and drummers were thus named after the instruction they were sounding, much as a bugle call announcing dinner might be called "come and eat." The word and its plural have been used in English for the dawn call ever since.

Synonyms: wake-up calls, bugle calls

Antonyms: lights outs, bedtimes