WHILE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does while mean? 

• WHILE (noun)
  The noun WHILE has 1 sense:

1. a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

  Familiarity information: WHILE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHILE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

patch; piece; spell; while

Context example:

a patch of bad weather

Hypernyms ("while" is a kind of...):

time (an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "while"):

cold snap; cold spell (a spell of cold weather)

hot spell (a spell of hot weather)

snap (a spell of cold weather)

 Context examples 

At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

While a plant-based diet is generally considered healthier than a meat-based diet in preventing the risk of diabetes, not all meats affect the risk equally.

(Eating Meat Linked to Higher Risk of Diabetes, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Dare say you heard the carriage, sir, while you were at dinner; and going on now for Crewkherne, in his way to Bath and London.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I wired to Mr. Gregson to run you down in London while I examined Wisteria Lodge.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true bride stood by.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Everything is green here, while in the country of the Munchkins blue was the favorite color.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

In time, you will multiply your money while you sleep.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Even the babies were as big as elephants, while the two large ones were far beyond all creatures I have ever seen.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

No, no; I shall exercise mine at the average of four hours every day while I am here.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Harriet must give us as much of her company as she can while my brother and sister are here.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)