while
An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
Noun 1 meaning
An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
“He lectured for quite a long while.”
Conjunction 4 meanings
During the same time that.
“He was sleeping while I was singing.”
Although.
“This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating.”
Until.
“I'll wait while you've finished painting.”
As long as.
“While you're at school you may live at home.”
Preposition 1 meaning
Until.
Verb 2 meanings
To pass (time) idly.
“I whiled away the hours whilst waiting for him to arrive”
To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.
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 and Norwegian Bokmål hvile (“rest”), Norwegian Nynorsk kvila (“rest”), Swedish vila (“rest”), Faroese and Icelandic hvíla (“rest”)) from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest”).
Similar and opposite words
WHILE at a glance
WHILE has 5 letters and scores 11 points in Scrabble (W 4 + H 4 + I 1 + L 1 + E 1) and 11 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #136 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with while
All rhymesOne letter away
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