the while

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English þe while, from Old English þā hwīle, equivalent to the + while (noun).[1]

Adverb

[edit]

the while (not comparable)

  1. At the same time; during that period; meanwhile.
    Synonym: all the while
    • 2012, Tracy Saunders, The Indalo Quest, page 71:
      Finally, she reluctantly piled in with me, complaining the while.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ “the while” under “while, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=the_while&oldid=81338785"