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all the while

[hwahyl, wahyl]

Origin

noun

a period or interval of time: to wait a long while; He arrived a short while ago.

Archaic. a particular time or occasion.

conjunction

during or in the time that.

throughout the time that; as long as.

even though; although: While she appreciated the honor, she could not accept the position.

at the same time that (showing an analogous or corresponding action): The floor was strewn with books, while magazines covered the tables.

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All the while is always a great word to know.

So is gobo. Does it mean:

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

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preposition

Archaic. until.

verb (used with object)

to cause (time) to pass, especially in some easy or pleasant manner (usually followed by away).

Idioms

all the while, at or during this time; all along: She realized all the while that the cake would fall.

10.

worth one's while, worth one's time, trouble, or expense: The art exhibition that opened yesterday isn't worth your while.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English hwīl; cognate with Dutch wijl, German weile, Old Norse hvīla, Gothic hweila

Can be confused: while, wile.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To all the while

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

while

"to cause (time) to pass without dullness, 1635, earlier "to occupy or engage (someone or something) for a period of time" (1606), new formation from while (n.), not considered to be from M.E. hwulen "to have leisure," which is from a Gmc. verb form of while

EXPAND

(n.) (cf. Ger. weilen "to stay, linger"). An association with phrases such as Shakespearean beguile the day, L. diem decipere, Fr. tromper le temps "has led to the substitution of WILE v by some modern writers" [OED] (see wile).

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Matching Quote

"Men have a low threshold for distraction. They are delicate. They are made nervous by having to do more than one thing at a time. They feel frazzled and angry if they have to answer three phone calls, and have a hard time settling back to work after the trauma. Women, on the other hand, develop the skill of doing many things at once. They tuck the phone in between their shoulders and their ears, hold a baby on one hip, stir a pot on the stove, all the while thinking about an idea for a story. They don't think it's unfair to have to do this. They think it's normal."

-Barbara Cawthorne Crafton

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