while
[noun]
Synonyms: bit, space, spell, stretch, time, whet, occasion, instant, moment, effort, elbow grease, exertion, pains, trouble
[conjunction]
Synonyms: though, albeit, although, howbeit, much as, when, whereas
[verb]
Synonyms: beguile, fleet, wile

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Related Words: amuse, divert, entertain, brighten, enliven, lighten

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English Thesaurus: time, occasion, moment, point, a long time, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. while¹ S1 W1 /waɪl/ conjunction

1. during the time that something is happening:
They arrived while we were having dinner.
While she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.
She met Andy while working on a production of Carmen.

2. all the time that something is happening:
Would you look after the children while I do the shopping?
GRAMMAR
In a clause beginning with while that refers to the future, use the present tense, not 'will':
I will enjoy my fame while it lasts (NOT while it will last).

3. used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc:
Schools in the north tend to be better equipped, while those in the south are relatively poor.

4. in spite of the fact that Synonym : although:
While never a big eater, he did snack a lot.
While there was no conclusive evidence, most people thought he was guilty.

5. while I’m/you’re etc at/about it spoken used to suggest that someone should do something at the same time that they do something else:
Print out what you’ve written, and while you’re at it make a copy for me.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. while² S1 W2 noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: hwil]

1. a while a period of time, especially a short one:
It takes a while to recover from the operation.
in a while
Mr Thomas will be with you in a while.
for a while
At last, he could relax for a while.
a little/short while
Wait a little while before deciding.
We talked for quite a while (=a fairly long time) on the phone.

2. all the while all the time that something is happening:
He examined her thoroughly, talking softly all the while.
She continued working, all the while keeping an eye on the clock.
⇒ (every) once in a while at once¹(8), ⇒ be worth sb’s while (to do/doing something) at worth¹(5), ⇒ make it worth sb’s while at worth¹(6)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. while³ verb
while away the hours/evening/days etc to spend time in a pleasant and lazy way:
The evenings were whiled away in endless games of cards.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

while
noun
ADJ. brief, little, short | fair, good, long, some Things continued quiet for some while.
VERB + WHILE take I'll mend it for you, but it could take a while.
PREP. after a ~ After a while, I began to get bored with my job.
for a/the ~ They chatted for a while. There's no need to do anything for the while.
in a ~ I'll be back in a while.
PHRASES all the while The bird hopped across the lawn, keeping a sharp lookout all the while.
once in a while Everybody makes a mistake once in a while (= occasionally).
(for) quite a while He kept me waiting for quite a while.
a while back The problems started a while back.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

while
conjunction
1.
BAD: The Japanese have a tendency to keep silent while meetings.
GOOD: The Japanese have a tendency to keep silent during meetings.

Usage Note:
While (conjunction) introduces a clause: 'While we were on holiday, we did a lot of walking.'
During (preposition) introduces a noun phrase: 'During the holiday we did a lot of walking.'

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2.
BAD: While I drove to the airport, my car broke down.
GOOD: While I was driving to the airport, my car broke down.

Usage Note:
To refer to a 'background action', use the past progressive tense
(was /were doing ): 'While I was having a bath, the telephone rang.'

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3.
BAD: Who will look after the children while you will be at work?
GOOD: Who will look after the children while you are at work?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

time a time when something happens or when you should do something:
The last time I saw her she was in high school.
It’s time for you to go to bed.
The best time to visit Scotland is in late May.
occasion a time when something happens. Occasion is more formal than time:
They have been seen together on several occasions.
The last occasion the two teams met, the Giants won easily.
moment a particular point in time when something happens:
At that moment (=at exactly that time), the door bell rang.
The next moment she was gone.
point a particular time during a longer period of time:
At one point during the play she completely forgot her lines.
the lowest point of the holiday
a long time a long period of time, especially many months or years:
They’ve been married a long time – nearly 30 years.
The house has been empty for a long time.
all day/night/year/week continuing for the whole day, night, year etc – used especially to emphasize that it is a long time:
It’s going to take me all night to finish this essay.
He’s in London all week, and only comes home at the weekends.
hours/weeks/months/years many hours, weeks, months, or years – used to emphasize that it is a long time, or much longer than it should be:
It’s years since I rode a bike.
My wife had to wait months for a hospital appointment.
ages especially British English informal a very long time:
I’ve been standing here for ages.
The software takes ages to load.
They’ve lived there for ages.
a while (also some time) a fairly long time:
I hadn’t seen Paul for a while, and he’d completely changed.
It may be some time before the company starts to make a profit.
the longest time American English a very long time:
For the longest time, my daughter wasn’t reading at all.
It took me the longest time to figure out how to work the sunroof in this car.
a minute/moment a short time:
I’ll call you back in a minute.
Can I show you something? It will only take a moment.
a second a very short time:
I’ll be ready in a second.
Just a second – I can’t find my wallet.
an instant written a very short time:
In an instant, they were gone.
He paused for an instant.
a little while/a short while a short period of time, especially a few hours, days, or weeks:
I’ve been to Tokyo, but I was only there for a short while.
I saw him a little while ago.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

when at or during the time that something happens:
Call me when you get home.
When I got here, the place was empty.
while during the time that something is happening – used to emphasize that something is continuing:
I’ll make the salad while you set the table.
While we were on holiday, our house was burgled.
whenever used in order to emphasize that something always happens when another thing happens:
He visits his mother whenever he can.
You can come and talk to me whenever you have a problem.
by the time used in order to say that one thing has or will have already happened when something else happens:
By the time a child is five, he will have watched hundreds of hours of television.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

while during the time that you are doing something, or something is happening:
I bought a magazine while I was waiting for the train.
While we were on holiday, my bag was stolen.
meanwhile at the same time as something else is happening:
They’re still working on our bedroom. Meanwhile, we’re sleeping downstairs.
The Russians, meanwhile, declared war on August 8.
in the meantime during the period of time between now and a future event, or between two events in the past:
More aid is expected soon, but in the meantime these people are going hungry.
My new job hadn’t started, so in the meantime I tried to write a book.
whilst British English while. Whilst sounds a little more formal than while:
One American plane was forced to land whilst flying over North Korea.
Whilst all this was going on, the performers were getting ready for the show.
when at or during the time that something happens:
Call me when you get home.
When I got here, the place was empty.
whenever used in order to emphasize that something always happens when another thing happens:
He visits his mother whenever he can.
You can come and talk to me whenever you have a problem.
by the time used in order to say that one thing has or will have already happened when something else happens:
By the time a child is five, he will have watched hundreds of hours of television.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

while
waɪl
See: after a while or in a while , all the time(1) , every now and then or every once in a while , once in a while

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲