Usually means: Period during which something happens.
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We found 38 dictionaries that define the word while:

General (32 matching dictionaries)
  1. while: Merriam-Webster.com
  2. while, the while: Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
  3. while: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  4. while, the while: Collins English Dictionary
  5. while: Vocabulary.com
  6. WHile, While, While, while, the while: Wordnik
  7. while: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  8. while, the while: Wiktionary
  9. while: Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed.
  10. while: The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus
  11. while: Infoplease Dictionary
  12. The while, while: Dictionary.com
  13. while (n.), while (v.): Online Etymology Dictionary
  14. while: Cambridge Essential American English Dictionary
  15. While: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
  16. while: Rhymezone
  17. while: AllWords.com Multi-Lingual Dictionary
  18. while: Webster's 1828 Dictionary
  19. while, the while: Free Dictionary
  20. while: Mnemonic Dictionary
  21. while: LookWAYup Translating Dictionary/Thesaurus
  22. while: Dictionary/thesaurus
  23. while: Wikimedia Commons US English Pronunciations
  24. While: Online Plain Text English Dictionary
  25. while: Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition

Business (1 matching dictionary)
  1. while: Legal dictionary

Computing (2 matching dictionaries)
  1. while: Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
  2. While(1), While(true), While (1), While (true), while: Encyclopedia

Medicine (1 matching dictionary)
  1. online medical dictionary (No longer online)

Miscellaneous (1 matching dictionary)
  1. while: Idioms

Slang (1 matching dictionary)
  1. while: Urban Dictionary

(Note: See whiled as well.)

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Definitions from Wiktionary (
)
American English Definition British English Definition
▸ noun:  An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.
▸ noun:  (US) an uncertain long period of time
▸ noun:  (Philippines) an uncertain short moment
▸ verb:  (transitive, now only in combination with away; see also while away) To pass (time) idly.
▸ verb:  (transitive) To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass.
▸ verb:  (intransitive, archaic) To elapse, to pass.
▸ verb:  Alternative spelling or misspelling of wile.

Similar:
piece, spell, whilst, after, when, whereas, though, before, since, although, more...

Opposite:
unlike, notwithstanding, yet, however, instead

Types:
bleached, unbleached, dairy, nondairy, vegetable, more...

Phrases:
a while, the while, while that, worth while, while loop, more...

Adjectives:
little, worth, long, short, good, great, brief, mean, litde, ill, silent


▸ Word origin

▸ Words similar to while

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▸ Idioms related to while

▸ Wikipedia articles (New!)

▸ Popular adjectives describing while

▸ Words that often appear near while

▸ Rhymes of while

▸ Invented words related to while

Similar:
piece, spell, whilst, after, when, whereas, though, before, since, although, more...

Opposite:
unlike, notwithstanding, yet, however, instead

Types:
bleached, unbleached, dairy, nondairy, vegetable, more...

Phrases:
a while, the while, while that, worth while, while loop, while away, once in a while, strike while the iron is hot, for a while, all the while, every once in a while, make hay while the sun shines, more...

Adjectives:
little, worth, long, short, good, great, brief, mean, litde, ill, silent



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