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while

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while

  [hwahyl, wahyl] noun, conjunction, preposition, verb, whiled, whil⋅ing.
Use while in a Sentence
–noun
1. a period or interval of time: to wait a long while; He arrived a short while ago.
2. Archaic. a particular time or occasion.
–conjunction
3. during or in the time that.
4. throughout the time that; as long as.
5. even though; although: While she appreciated the honor, she could not accept the position.
6. at the same time that (showing an analogous or corresponding action): The floor was strewn with books, while magazines covered the tables.
–preposition
7. Archaic. until.
–verb (used with object)
8. to cause (time) to pass, esp. in some easy or pleasant manner (usually fol. by away).
—Idioms
9. 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:
bef. 900; ME; OE hwīl; c. D wijl, G weile, ON hvīla, Goth hweila
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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while   (hwīl, wīl)   
n.  

  1. A period of time: stay for a while; sang all the while. See Usage Note at awhile.

  2. The time, effort, or trouble taken in doing something: The project wasn't worth my while.

conj.  

  1. As long as; during the time that: It was lovely while it lasted.

  2. At the same time that; although: While the grandparents love the children, they are strict with them.

  3. Whereas; and: The soles are leather, while the uppers are canvas.

tr.v.   whiled, whil·ing, whiles
To spend (time) idly or pleasantly: while the hours away.

[Middle English, from Old English hwīl; see kweiə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

while  (n.)
O.E. hwile, acc. of hwil "a space of time," from P.Gmc. *khwilo (cf. O.S. hwil, O.Fris. hwile, O.H.G. hwila, Ger. Weile, Goth. hveila "space of time, while"), originally "rest" (cf. O.N. hvila "bed," hvild "rest"), from PIE *qwi- "rest" (cf. Avestan shaitish "joy," O.Pers. šiyatish "joy," L. quies "rest, repose, quiet," O.C.S. po-koji "rest"). Notion of "period of rest" became in Gmc. "period of time." Now largely superseded by time except in formulaic constructions (e.g. all the while). M.E. sense of "time spent in doing something" now only preserved in worthwhile and phrases such as worth (one's) while. As a conjunction (late O.E.), it represents O.E. þa hwile þe; form whiles is recorded from c.1220; whilst is from c.1375, with excrescent -st as in amongst, amidst (see amid).

while  (v.)
"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 (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).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

while programming
The loop construct found in nearly all procedural languages which executes one or more instructions (the "loop body") repeatedly so long as some condition evaluates to true. In contrast to a repeat loop, the loop body will not be executed at all if the condition is false on entry to the while.
For example, in C, a while loop is written
while () ;
where is any expression and is any statement, including a compound statement within braces "..".
(1995-03-14)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Idioms & Phrases

while

In addition to the idioms beginning with while, also see all the time (while); a while back; every now and then (once in a while); fiddle while Rome burns; get out while the getting is good; in a while; make hay while the sun shines; once in a while; quit while you're ahead; strike while the iron's hot; worth one's while.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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