# pernoctation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌpɜːnɒkˈteɪʃn̩/

## Definitions
1. The action of abiding through the night at a location; (countable) an instance of this; an overnight stay.
2. The action of walking about at night, especially as a vigil or watch; (countable) an instance of this.
3. A religious watch kept during normal sleeping hours, during which prayers or other ceremonies are performed; a vigil.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *nókʷts
Learned borrowing from Late Latin pernoctātiō (“act of spending of the night (doing something, particularly praying)”), from pernoctō (“to spend the night”) + -tiō (action noun suffix). Pernoctō is from per- (prefix with the sense of completion or entirety forming verbs) + nox (“night; darkness”). By surface analysis, pernoctate + -ion.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pernoctation