Adjacent Words

While definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WHILE, n. [G. See the Verb.] Time; space of time, or continued duration. He was some while in this country. One while we thought him innocent.
Pausing a while, thus to herself she musd.
Worth while, worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense. It is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.
WHILE, adv.
1. During the time that while I write, you sleep.
2. As long as.
Use your memory, and you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to overload it.
3. At the same time that.
WHILE, v.t. [G., to abide, to stay.] To while away, as time, in English, is to loiter; or more generally, to cause time to pass away pleasantly, without irksomeness; as, we while away time in amusements or diversions.
Let us while away this life.
WHILE, v.i. To loiter.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition; "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"; "a patch of bad weather" [syn: while, piece, spell, patch]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hw?l; akin to Old High German hw?la time, Latin quies rest, quiet Date: before 12th century 1. a period of time especially when short and marked by the occurrence of an action or a condition ; time <stay here for a while> 2. the time and effort used (as in the performance of an action) ; trouble <worth your while> II. conjunction Date: 12th century 1. a. during the time that <take a nap while I'm out> b. as long as <while there's life there's hope> 2. a. when on the other hand ; whereas <easy for an expert, while it is dangerous for a novice> b. in spite of the fact that ; although <while respected, he is not liked> 3. similarly and at the same time that <while the book will be welcomed by scholars, it will make an immediate appeal to the general reader — British Book News> III. preposition Date: 15th century dialect British until IV. transitive verb (whiled; whiling) Date: 1635 to cause to pass especially without boredom or in a pleasant manner — usually used with away <while away the time>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n., conj., v., & adv. --n. 1 a space of time, time spent in some action (a long while ago; waited a while; all this while). 2 (prec. by the) a during some other process. b poet. during the time that. 3 (prec. by a) for some time (have not seen you a while). --conj. 1 during the time that; for as long as; at the same time as (while I was away, the house was burgled; fell asleep while reading). 2 in spite of the fact that; although, whereas (while I want to believe it, I cannot). 3 N.Engl. until (wait while Monday). --v.tr. (foll. by away) pass (time etc.) in a leisurely or interesting manner. --rel.adv. (prec. by time etc.) during which (the summer while I was abroad). Phrases and idioms: all the while during the whole time (that). for a long while for a long time past. for a while for some time. a good (or great) while a considerable time. in a while (or little while) soon, shortly. worth while (or one's while) worth the time or effort spent. Etymology: OE hwil f. Gmc: (conj.) abbr. of OE tha hwile the, ME the while that

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

While While, prep. Until; till. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under your bed while midnight. --Beau. & Fl.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

While While, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiling.] To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; -- usually followed by away. The lovely lady whiled the hours away. --Longfellow.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

While While, n. [AS. hw[=i]l; akin to OS. hw[=i]l, hw[=i]la, OFries. hw[=i]le, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. w[=i]la, hw[=i]la, hw[=i]l, Icel. hv[=i]la a bed, hv[=i]ld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. ? the proper time of season. [root]20. Cf. Quiet, Whilom.] 1. Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time; as, one while we thought him innocent. ``All this while.'' --Shak. This mighty queen may no while endure. --Chaucer. [Some guest that] hath outside his welcome while, And tells the jest without the smile. --Coleridge. I will go forth and breathe the air a while. --Longfellow. 2. That which requires time; labor; pains. [Obs.] Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her while. --Chaucer. At whiles, at times; at intervals. And so on us at whiles it falls, to claim Powers that we dread. --J. H. Newman. The while, The whiles, in or during the time that; meantime; while. --Tennyson. Within a while, in a short time; soon. Worth while, worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense; as, it is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

While While, v. i. To loiter. [R.] --Spectator.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

While While, conj. 1. During the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time that; as, while I write, you sleep. ``While I have time and space.'' --Chaucer. Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to overload it. --I. Watts. 2. Hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though; whereas. While as, While that, during or at the time that. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

I. CONJUNCTION USES Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: The form 'whilst' is also used in formal or literary English, especially British English. 1. If something happens while something else is happening, the two things are happening at the same time. Racing was halted for an hour while the track was repaired... Her parents could help with child care while she works. CONJ 2. If something happens while something else happens, the first thing happens at some point during the time that the second thing is happening. The two ministers have yet to meet, but may do so while in New York... Never apply water to a burn from an electric shock while the casualty is still in contact with the electric current. CONJ 3. You use while at the beginning of a clause to introduce information which contrasts with information in the main clause. The first two services are free, while the third costs £35.00. = whereas CONJ 4. You use while, before making a statement, in order to introduce information that partly conflicts with your statement. While the numbers of such developments are relatively small, the potential market is large... While the news, so far, has been good, there may be days ahead when it is bad. = although CONJ II. NOUN AND VERB USES (whiles, whiling, whiled) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. Please look at category 3 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword. 1. A while is a period of time. They walked on in silence for a while... He was married a little while ago... Working at low intensity means that you can continue to perform the activity for a long while. N-SING: a N, usu adj 2. You use all the while in order to say that something happens continually or that it happens throughout the time when something else is happening. All the while the people at the next table watched me eat. PHRASE: PHR with cl 3. once in a while: see once worth your while: see worth

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Time, season, space of time. II. ad. 1. During the time that. 2. As long as. 3. At the same time that. 4. Under which circumstances, in which case, though.

Moby Thesaurus

albeit, although, amuse, as far as, as long as, at which time, beguile, bit, brighten, chronology, continuity, day, divert, duration, duree, during which time, elbow grease, enliven, entertain, exertion, fateful moment, hour, howbeit, instant, interval, juncture, kairos, lastingness, lighten, meantime, meanwhile, minute, moment, moment of truth, pains, period, point, pregnant moment, psychological moment, psychological time, season, space, space-time, span, spell, stage, stretch, tense, term, the future, the past, the present, the while, tide, time, time lag, timebinding, trouble, when, whereas, whet, whilst, wile