Dictionary

wile en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /waɪl/

Etymology

From Middle English wile, wyle, from Old Northern French wile (“guile”) and Old English wīl (“wile, trick”) and wiġle (“divination”), from Proto-Germanic *wīlą (“craft, deceit”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn, bend”)) and Proto-Germanic *wigulą, *wihulą (“prophecy”) (from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to consecrate, hallow, make holy”)). Cognate with Icelandic vél, væl (“artifice, craft, device, fraud, trick”), Dutch wijle. Doublet of guile.

Meanings

1. (plural-normally) A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice
   • Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens,) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove, that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government. 1796, George Washington, "Farewell Address", American Daily Advertiser:
   • I don't understand this at all. First, Paige made out with me in the art room, but then she wouldn't hold my hand even though she's the one who came up with the hand-holding rule in the first place, months ago. / Ahh, tale as old as time, beautiful vixen using her wiles to scramble your brains. 2018, Robia Rashid, “Penguin Cam and Chill” (8:07 from the start), in Ryan Case, director, Atypical, season 2, episode 2, spoken by Sam and Zahid (Keir Gilchrist and Nik Dodani), via Netflix:
   • He was seduced by her wiles.
   • to frustrate all our plots and wiles 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • "Anything interesting among your letters, Geoffrey?" asked Miss Tilehurst, concealing a protective curiosity under this sociable wile, since she had already inspected the covers. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

Forms

Deriveds

wileful · wily

Relateds

guile

Synonyms

allurement · beguilement

Translations (30)

pl podstęp (trick or stratagem) · cmn 詭計 /诡计 (trick or stratagem) · ru хи́трость (trick or stratagem) · cs lest (trick or stratagem) · fr leurre (trick or stratagem) · nl fint (trick or stratagem) · nl list (trick or stratagem) · pl fortel (trick or stratagem) · got 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (trick or stratagem) · ru уло́вка (trick or stratagem) · la sūtēla (trick or stratagem) · ga meang (trick or stratagem) · fi kikka (trick or stratagem) · bg уловка (trick or stratagem) · el πονηριά (trick or stratagem) · el τέχνασμα (trick or stratagem) · ru ухищре́ние (trick or stratagem) · uk хитрува́ння (trick or stratagem) · fr ruse (trick or stratagem) · ru трюк (trick or stratagem) · cs trik (trick or stratagem) · bg хитрина (trick or stratagem) · cs fígl (trick or stratagem) · mi rauhanga (trick or stratagem) · de Schlich (trick or stratagem) · uk хи́трість (trick or stratagem) · ja 策略 (trick or stratagem) · nl sluwigheid (trick or stratagem) · pl sztuczka (trick or stratagem) · cmn 計策 /计策 (trick or stratagem)

wile en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /waɪl/

Etymology

From Middle English wile, wyle, from Old Northern French wile (“guile”) and Old English wīl (“wile, trick”) and wiġle (“divination”), from Proto-Germanic *wīlą (“craft, deceit”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn, bend”)) and Proto-Germanic *wigulą, *wihulą (“prophecy”) (from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to consecrate, hallow, make holy”)). Cognate with Icelandic vél, væl (“artifice, craft, device, fraud, trick”), Dutch wijle. Doublet of guile.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To entice or lure.
   • He was good to look on, brawly dressed, and with a tongue in his head that would have wiled the bird from the tree. 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

Forms

Deriveds

bewile · outwile · wile out

wile en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /waɪl/

Etymology

The phrase meaning to pass time idly is while away. We can trace the meaning in an adjectival sense for while back to Old English, hwīlen, "passing, transitory". It is also seen in whilend, "temporary, transitory". But since wile away occurs so often, it is now included in many dictionaries.

Meanings

1. (alt-of, misspelling) Misspelling of while (“to pass the time”).
   alt of while
   • Here's a pleasant way to wile away the hours.
   • “A fear of what?” asked the gentleman, who seemed to pity her. “I scarcely know of what,” replied the girl. “I wish I did. Horrible thoughts of death, and shrouds with blood upon them, and a fear that has made me burn as if I was on fire, have been upon me all day. I was reading a book to-night, to wile the time away, and the same things came into the print.” 1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Oliver Twist; […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC:

Translations (1)

fr tuer le temps (to pass the time)