reveille
Americannoun
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a signal, as of a drum or bugle, sounded early in the morning to awaken military personnel and to alert them for assembly.
-
a signal to arise.
noun
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a signal, given by a bugle, drum, etc, to awaken soldiers or sailors in the morning
-
the hour at which this takes place
Etymology
Origin of reveille
1635–45; < French réveillez, plural imperative of réveiller to awaken, equivalent to r ( e ) - re- + éveiller, Old French esveillier ≪ Latin ēvigilāre to watch, be vigilant ( ē- e- 1 + vigilāre to watch; vigil )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The implied message may as well be a reveille blare: Nothing so minor should get in the way of anyone’s aspirations to serve their country.
From Salon • Oct. 10, 2025
Luggage lined up in Dallas terminals like dwarf soldiers in a nightmare reveille.
From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2022
From reveille to lights-out, the boy trumpeters sounded calls for all activities of the day.
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2021
After reveille just after dawn, an hour is allowed for exercise and showers.
From Reuters • Dec. 16, 2021
It seems early for that, but reveille sneaks up faster than Pop's wake-up call of scorched eggs and charred bacon.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
