while

while

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of while in English

English Online Dictionary. What means while‎? What does while mean?

English

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʍaɪl/, /waɪl/
  • (in accents without the "wine-whine" merger)
  • (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
  • Rhymes: -aɪl

Noun

while (plural (archaic or informal) whiles)

  1. An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
    It’s a long while since anyone lived there, so it’s a ruin now.
    1. (US) an uncertain long period of time
    2. (Philippines) an uncertain short moment

Synonyms

  • spell; see also Thesaurus:uncertain period

Antonyms

  • (uncertain long period): bit

Derived terms

Translations

Conjunction

while

  1. During the same time that.
  2. Although.
  3. (Northern England, Scotland) Until.
  4. As long as.
  5. (media, public policy) Used to denote an individual experiencing racial profiling when performing a seemingly benign activity.

Usage notes

  • See whilst.

Synonyms

  • (during the same time that): whilst; see also Thesaurus:while
  • (although): as much as; see also Thesaurus:even though
  • (until): till; see also Thesaurus:until
  • (as long as): provided that, providing, so long as

Derived terms

Related terms

  • while loop

Translations

Preposition

while

  1. (Northern England, Scotland) Until.

Verb

while (third-person singular simple present whiles, present participle whiling, simple past and past participle whiled)

  1. (transitive, now only in combination with away; see also while away) To pass (time) idly.
    Synonyms: idle, laze, lounge
  2. (transitive) To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.
  3. (intransitive, archaic) To elapse, to pass.
  4. Alternative spelling or misspelling of wile.

Synonyms

  • (loiter): see also Thesaurus:loiter

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

  • “while”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
  • “while”, in The Century Dictionary [], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English whyle, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlu.

Noun

while

  1. while

References

  • Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 22

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.