wait-a-while en · NOUN
Etymology
Originally after South African Dutch wacht-en-beetje; compare wait-a-bit.
Meanings
- (South-Africa) Synonym of wait-a-bit.
-
(Australia) Any of several thorny Australian vines or shrubs which impede passage, especially Acacia cuspidifolia of Western Australia, Smilax australis of eastern Australia and the Northern Territory, and lawyer vine.
In the new clearing by the creek where he had felled most of the big stuff, she attacked the landscape with anger, grubbing out the wait-a-while and bush-sword that was still guzzling round the stumps.
1979, Thea Astley, Hunting the Wild Pineapple, Nelson, page 136:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wait-a-whiles | Number=Plur | lexicographic |