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While

//ʍaɪl// conj, name, noun, prep, verb

Definitions

Conjunction
  1. 1
    During the same time that.

    "He was sleeping while I was singing."

  2. 2
    Although.

    "This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating."

  3. 3
    Until. Northern-England, Scotland

    "I'll wait while you've finished painting."

  4. 4
    As long as.

    "While you're at school you may live at home."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

    "He lectured for quite a long while."

  2. 2
    a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition wordnet
  3. 3
    An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.; An uncertain long period of time
  4. 4
    An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.; an uncertain short moment Philippines
Preposition
  1. 1
    Until. Northern-England, Scotland

    "I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under your bed while midnight."

Verb
  1. 1
    To pass (time) idly. in-compounds, transitive

    "I whiled away the hours whilst waiting for him to arrive"

  2. 2
    Alternative spelling or misspelling of wile. alt-of, alternative, misspelling

    "There it lies before me sparkling in the sun, whiling me as it often does from my pen or book to gaze upon its loveliness."

  3. 3
    To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass. transitive

    "They whiled them with such answere as suted to their purposes, and long adoe was made in weaving and unweaving Penelopes web, till the Spanish Armada was upon the Coast, and the very Ordnance proclaimed in their eares a surcease from further illusions."

  4. 4
    To elapse, to pass. archaic, intransitive

    "The tedious hours whiled slowly on, 'till the succeeding afternoon, when the expected carriage made its appearance much sooner than they had promised themselves."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Etymology 2

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Etymology 3

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

Etymology 4

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (compare Dutch wijl, Low German Wiel, German Weile, Danish hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).

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