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Webster 1913 Edition

While

While

,
Noun.
[AS.
hwīl
; akin to OS.
hwīl
,
hwīla
, OFries.
hwīle
, D.
wigl
, G.
weile
, OHG.
wīla
,
hwīla
,
hwīl
, Icel.
hvīla
a bed,
hvīld
rest, Sw.
hvila
, Dan.
hvile
, Goth.
hweila
a time, and probably to L.
quietus
quiet, and perhaps to Gr. [GREEK] the proper time of season. √20. Cf.
Quiet
,
Whilom
.]
1.
Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time;
as, one
while
we thought him innocent
.
“All this while.”
Shak.
This mighty queen may no
while
endure.
Chaucer.
[Some guest that] hath outside his welcome
while
,
And tells the jest without the smile.
Coleridge.
I will go forth and breathe the air a
while
.
Longfellow.
2.
That which requires time; labor; pains.
[Obs.]
Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her
while
.
Chaucer.
At whiles
,
at times; at intervals.

And so on us
at whiles
it falls, to claim
Powers that we dread.
J. H. Newman.
–
The while
,
The whiles
,
in or during the time that; meantime; while.
Tennyson.
–
Within a while
,
in a short time; soon.
–
Worth while
,
worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense; as, it is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.

While

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Whiled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Whiling
.]
To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; – usually followed by away.
The lovely lady
whiled
the hours away.
Longfellow.

While

,
Verb.
I.
To loiter.
[R.]
Spectator.

While

,
c
onj.
1.
During the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time that;
as,
while
I write, you sleep
.
“While I have time and space.”
Chaucer.
Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement,
while
you take care not to overload it.
I. Watts.
2.
Hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though; whereas.
While as
,
While that
,
during or at the time that.
[Obs.]

While

,
p
rep.
Until; till.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
I may be conveyed into your chamber;
I’ll lie under your bed
while
midnight.
Beau. & Fl.

Webster 1828 Edition

While

WHILE

,
Noun.
[G. See the Verb.] Time; space of time, or continued duration. He was some while in this country. One while we thought him innocent.
Pausing a while, thus to herself she musd.
Worth while, worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense. It is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts.

WHILE

,
adv.
1.
During the time that while I write, you sleep.
2.
As long as.
Use your memory, and you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to overload it.
3.
At the same time that.

WHILE

,
Verb.
T.
[G., to abide, to stay.] To while away, as time, in English, is to loiter; or more generally, to cause time to pass away pleasantly, without irksomeness; as, we while away time in amusements or diversions.
Let us while away this life.

WHILE

,
Verb.
I.
To loiter.

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