WHILING

Verb

whiling

present participle of while

Source: Wiktionary


WHILE

While, n. Etym: [AS. hwil; akin to OS. hwil, hwila, OFries. hwile, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. wila, hwila, hwil, Icel. hvila a bed, hvild rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. 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.

While, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whiling.]

Definition: 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.

While, v. i.

Definition: To loiter. [R.] Spectator.

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.]

While, prep.

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

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

22 June 2024

POOR

(adjective) characterized by or indicating poverty; “the country had a poor economy”; “they lived in the poor section of town”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de Bolívar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.

coffee icon