conjunction / noun / verb

while

WHYLE/waɪl/

A period of time during which something happens.

One adult reads while another waters a plant in the room.

A Black adult reads while a white adult simultaneously waters a plant in the same room.

Etymology

Old English hwil named a space of time. Its use in a phrase meaning “the while that” turned that noun into a conjunction linking something to the time during which it happens.

In context

James Tullos30:20

while she's traveling around she'll run into another group of insurgents somewhere in norda

Let's rewrite Red Queen

More examples

We rest for a while after lunch.
Please stay here while I find your keys.
She whiles away rainy afternoons with crossword puzzles.

Forms

while · whiles · whiled · whiling

Similar words

as: Links events happening together, but cannot name a duration.
period: Names a span of time, often with defined boundaries.
pass: Can describe spending time, without necessarily suggesting enjoyment or idleness.