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”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).
Meanings
(Northern-England, Scotland) Until.
I may be conveyed into your chamber; I'll lie under your bed while midnight. c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, “Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
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”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).
Meanings
During the same time that.
He added that the case took an emotional toll and left him humiliated by the accusations when, in fact, all he had been doing was "gardening while black". 2019 March 8, Tom Perkins, “'Gardening while black': lawsuit targets white accusers over 'outrageous' claims”, in The Guardian:
I lived in Ávila for two lustra while I was a child.
He was sleeping while I was singing.
While the powwow was going on the big woman came back again. She was consider'ble rumpled and scratched up, but there was fire in her eye. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth. 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:
While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San Francisco, seeking a site for the presidio, the American colonists on the eastern seaboard, three thousand miles away, were celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 1948, Carey McWilliams, North from Mexico / The Spanish-Speaking People of The United States, J. B. Lippincott Company, page 25:
Driving while intoxicated is against the law.
Ms. Syed, along with many of her American Muslim friends and Islamic-rights advocates, is all too familiar with what many refer to as the stigma of traveling while Muslim. 2016 November 7, Michael T. Luongo, “Traveling While Muslim Complicates Air Travel”, in The New York Times:
Although.
While I would love to help, I am very busy at the moment.
And while one isolated act of kindness may seem random, it can lead to much more. 2025 November 13, Kamala Thiagarajan, “If you're going to be kind to another human, today is the day to do it!”, in NPR:
While Britain’s recession has been deep and unforgiving, in London it has been relatively shallow. 2013 September 28, Kenan Malik, “London Is Special, but Not That Special”, in New York Times, retrieved 28 Sep 2013:
This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating.
(Northern-England, Scotland) Until.
To dark is still used in Swaledale (Yorkshire) in the sense of to lie hid, as, 'Te rattens [rats] mun ha bin darkin whel nu [till now]; we hannot heerd tem tis last fortnith'. 1873, Richard Morris, Walter William Skeat, “Glossarial Index”, in Specimens of Early English, volumes II: From Robert of Gloucester to Gower, A.D. 1298—A.D. 1393, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 490:
I'll wait while you've finished painting.
As long as.
While you're at school you may live at home.
Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to load it to excess. 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:
nl terwijl (during the same time that) · ca malgrat (although) · mi keiwhā (during the same time that) · mk макар (although) · ltg koleņ (during the same time that) · ar بَيْنَمَا (during the same time that) · nb selv om (although) · de während (during the same time that) · pl dopóki (during the same time that) · hu míg (as long as) · vi trong khi (during the same time that) · el ενώ (although) · el μολονότι (although) · cs zatímco (during the same time that) · ca mentre (during the same time that) · arz لما (during the same time that) · es aunque (although) · tr rağmen (although) · ja ...時に (during the same time that) · fi sillä välin kun (as long as) · cu ѥгда (during the same time that) · eo dum (during the same time that) · nds wil (during the same time that) · nb mens (during the same time that) · ga agus (during the same time that) · eu bitartean (during the same time that) · th ในขณะที่ (during the same time that) · lv kamēr (during the same time that) · cmn 當 /当 (during the same time that) · mk иако (although) · ia ben que (although) · es mientras (as long as) · es demientra (desus.) (during the same time that) · es mientras (during the same time that) · hy մինչ (during the same time that) · de auch wenn (although) · el εφόσον (as long as) · hu jóllehet (although) · ckb ئەگەرچی (although) · es bien que (although) · de obwohl (although) · fi vaikka (although) · fi kun (during the same time that) · it benché (although) · eo kvankam (although) · tr -ken (during the same time that) · ja ...ながら (during the same time that) · fr tant que (during the same time that) · es mientra (desus.) (during the same time that) · pt malgrado (although) · ga chúns (as long as) · es con tal que (as long as) · uk до́ки (during the same time that) · it sebbene (although) · nl hoewel (although) · nl terwijl (although) · ru хотя́ (although) · ba булһа ла (although) · ko 동안 (during the same time that) · nv yíneeʼ (although) · fr tant que (as long as) · uk по́ки (during the same time that) · fi sillä välin kun (during the same time that) · hu ameddig (as long as) · km ក្នុងពេល (during the same time that) · sh dok (during the same time that) · bg докато (during the same time that) · sv fastän (although) · pl chociaż (although) · es en tanto que (as long as) · ru во вре́мя (during the same time that) · he בזמן ש־ (during the same time that) · fr quoique (although) · cs byť (although) · gl entrementres (during the same time that) · tr aynı zamanda (during the same time that) · el ενόσω (during the same time that) · nl zolang (as long as) · wa mågré ki (although) · ms semasa (during the same time that) · es si bien (although) · wa cweki (although) · be паку́ль (during the same time that) · fi sillä aikaa kun (during the same time that) · ja ...間に (during the same time that) · be да таго́ ча́су, паку́ль (during the same time that) · fi vaikkakin (although) · uk у той час як (during the same time that) · scn a p'assissì (during the same time that) · yi בעת (during the same time that) · fr bien que (although) · sv medan (during the same time that) · pt enquanto (during the same time that) · fr tandis que (although) · el καθώς (during the same time that) · sh док (during the same time that) · ro cât timp (as long as) · el καίτοι (although) · ary فلْوقْط (during the same time that) · de solange (as long as) · it malgrado (although) · hu míg (during the same time that) · ast mientres (during the same time that) · egy x*t:f (during the same time that) · hu mialatt (during the same time that) · hu amíg (as long as) · wa sol tins ki (during the same time that) · de während (although) · el ενώ (during the same time that) · gl mentres (during the same time that) · fi niin kauan kuin (as long as) · it mentre (during the same time that) · hu amíg (during the same time that) · fi kun (as long as) · fr tandis que (during the same time that) · fi samaan aikaan kun (during the same time that) · scn a mentri ca (during the same time that) · id seraya (during the same time that) · ro deși (although) · es siempre y cuando (as long as) · ast dun (during the same time that) · ro în timp ce (during the same time that) · ms sambil (during the same time that) · de obgleich (although) · uk до тих пір, як (during the same time that) · ka განმავლობაში (during the same time that) · ar فِي حِين (during the same time that) · ang þā hwīle þe (during the same time that) · hu habár (although) · hu ameddig (during the same time that) · cmn ...的時候 /...的时候 (during the same time that) · ru в то вре́мя, как (during the same time that) · mk додека (during the same time that) · la dōnec (during the same time that) · da medens (during the same time that) · fa هنگامی که (during the same time that) · es aun cuando (although) · fr alors que (during the same time that) · hu noha (although) · vi trong lúc (during the same time that) · fr pendant que (during the same time that) · id sementara (during the same time that) · tr iken (during the same time that) · got 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌴 (during the same time that) · ltg cikom (during the same time that) · hu bár (although) · es mientras que (during the same time that) · ary وخّا (although) · fi sillä aikaa kun (as long as) · fi kun taas (although) · be у той час як (during the same time that) · pl gdy (during the same time that) · nn medan (during the same time that) · el αν και (although) · ru пока́ (during the same time that) · fa مادامی که (during the same time that) · hu miközben (during the same time that) · ga chomh fada is (as long as) · uk під ча́с (during the same time that) · wa tins ki (during the same time that) · fy wylst (during the same time that) · de solange (during the same time that) · io dum (during the same time that) · la dum (during the same time that) · da mens (during the same time that) · ia durante que (during the same time that) · ca mentre que (during the same time that) · ms sementara (during the same time that) · pl podczas (during the same time that) · gl namentres (during the same time that) · nb så lenge (as long as) · ru до тех пор, пока́ (during the same time that) · pl mimo (although) · hu ámbár (although) · mi koi (during the same time that) · pt embora (although) · scn nnô mentri ca (during the same time that) · io dum ke (during the same time that)
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”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).
Meanings
An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
There are whiles […] when ye are altogether too canny and Whiggish to be company for a gentleman like me. 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 22, in Kidnapped, page 158:
Things were pretty dark for a while — several whiles, actually. 2017, Anne Thériault, “The Monster Book of Questions and Answers”, in Kelly Jensen, editor, Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World, Algonquin Young Readers, page 27:
It’s a long while since anyone lived there, so it’s a ruin now.
He lectured for quite a long while.
Do the good that's nearest Though it's dull at whiles. 1857, Charles Kingsley, [Letters and Memories]:
An uncertain duration of time, a period of time. ▸ An uncertain long period of time
(Philippines) An uncertain duration of time, a period of time. ▸ An uncertain short moment.
gl intre (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · hu egy ideig (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ro vreme (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ru промежу́ток вре́мени (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · de Weile (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · es rato (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · gl tempo (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · cy sbel (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · sv stund (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · hu egy darabig (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · wa houbonde (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ko 한참 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · pt tempo (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · it po' (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ca estona (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · pl jakiś czas (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · tr iken (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ja 期間 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · wa hapêye (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ko 동안 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · cs chvíle (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · got 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐌻𐌰 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ka დრო (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ckb ماوە (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ko 기간 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · gd greis (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · fi aika (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ga scaitheamh (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · hu idő (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · el διάστημα (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · fy skoft (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · it lasso di tempo (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ka დროის მონაკვეთი (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · it periodo (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · th ขณะที่ (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · nl een hele tijd (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · cmn 一段時間 /一段时间 (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · wa moumint (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ru вре́мя (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ga tamall (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · kk сол уақытта (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · de Weilchen n diminutive (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · nl momentje (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · mnc ᠪᡳᠯᠠᡤᠠᠨ (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ia tempore (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · tr -ken (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · pl chwila (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · de Zeitspanne (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · nl tijdje (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · no stund (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · el χρόνος (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ang hwīl (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · nl poosje (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · sv tag (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · fr moment (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ar مُدَّة (uncertain duration of time, a period of time) · ar فَتْرَة (uncertain duration of time, a period of time)
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”). Cognate with Albanian sillë (“breakfast”), Latin tranquillus, Sanskrit चिर (cirá), Persian شاد (šâd).
Meanings
(in-compounds, qualifier:see also while away, transitive, with away) To pass (time) idly.
As if she was just whiling her time with them until his arrival. 2018, Shukla Lal, Floating Logs:
Some were whiling the time by admiring the figures on the cloth of tissue. 1839, Robert Folkestone Williams, The Youth of Shakespeare, page 184:
Here in seclusion, as a widow may, / The lovely lady whiled the hours away, […] 1863 November 23, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Student’s Tale. The Falcon of Ser Federigo.”, in Tales of a Wayside Inn, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 35:
I whiled away the hours whilst waiting for him to arrive
(transitive) To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.
In other worlds I whiled me now Through many a dark night long. 2010, Dr Rudolf Steiner, Truth-Wrought-Words:
Like a good father, he whiled him with stories about the past of his nation and discussed in detail the intricacies of his profession, teaching the child secrets of the craft that had been passed from generation to generation. 2018, Michael Joyce, Yada:
He sat her on the corner of the carpenter's bench, and parried or diverted her questions about her father, and the desirability of wakening him by handing her the long curled shavings; and when these palled, he whiled her on by the impossible task of teaching him her version of the 'Three Golden Balls' a blank-verse poem, but rhythmically intoned, which he had taught her. 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 130:
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. 1588, Samuel Purchas, Hakluytus Posthumus or, Purchas his Pilgrimes:
(archaic, intransitive) To elapse, to pass.
Years whiled. He aged, sank, sickened; and was not: / And it was said, 'A man intractable / And curst is gone.' 1901, Thomas Hardy, “A Man”, in Poems of the Past and the Present:
The tedious hours whiled slowly on, 'till the succeeding afternoon, when the expected carriage made its appearance much sooner than they had promised themselves. 1764, Mrs. Gunning (Susannah), Family Pictures, a Novel. Containing Curious and Interesting Memoirs of Several Persons of Fashion in W-----re, page 115:
de vertrödeln (to loiter) · de beschäftigen (to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass) · de unterhalten (to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass) · de (gemeinsam) die Zeit verbringen (to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass) · it intrattenere (to entertain (someone) in order to let time pass)
Perhaps the coziness of his seat, and the absence of the sun's rays from the side of the house where he was seated, had some agency in whiling him into a delicious sleep; 1860, The Knickerbacker - Volume 56, page 593:
“Do not let us go near them," he says in a cajoling, low voice to Bertha, whiling her away into the sun and the flowers; 1900, Christian Work: Illustrated Family Newspaper - Volume 68, page 38:
He whiled him on to speak farther; but the same cloud was still upon Sir Henry Dacre's mind. 2020, George Payne Rainsford James, Agincourt: A Romance:
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. 1842, “Letters from Italy: No. 1 —Nice”, in The Dublin University Magazine, volume 19, page 47:
Upon the shelf before me stands, The Book that lured to distant Lands, That prompt my boyish wish to roam, And whiled me from my childhood's home. 1880, Ann Bagwill Cuming, Night Thoughts and Day Dreams, page 10: