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   while

   /wʌɪl/

   noun

   • 1. a period of time: "we chatted for a while"
   • ▪ for some time: "can I keep it a while?"
   • 2. at the same time; meanwhile: "he starts to draw, talking the while"
   • ▪ during the time that: literary "beseeching him, the while his hand she wrung"

   conjunction

   • 1. during the time that; at the same time as: "nothing much changed while he was away"
   • 2. whereas (indicating a contrast): "one person wants out, while the other wants the relationship to continue"
   • ▪ in spite of the fact that; although: "while I wouldn't recommend a night-time visit, by day the area is full of interest"

   relative

   • 1. during which: "the period while the animal remains alive"

   verb

   • 1. pass time in a leisurely manner: "a diversion to while away the long afternoons"

   preposition

   • 1. until: Northern English "father will be happy while dinner time"

   Word Origin Old Englishhwīl ‘period of time’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wijl, German Weile; the conjunction is an abbreviation of Old English thā hwīle the ‘the while that’.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • W

     4

   • H

     4

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

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