whilst, adv., conj. (prep.)
(hwaɪlst)
Forms: 4 quilest, -ist, quylest, -ist, 5 qwhilste, whylst, 5–6 whylest, 6 whillest, whylyst, wylst, Sc. quhylest, 6–7 whilest, 7 whil'st, 6– whilst.
[f. whiles + -t as in amongst, amidst.]
1. a. In advb. phr. the whilst (obs. or rare arch.), also (rare) † to whilst, in the whilst, or as simple adv. whilst (obs. exc. dial.): During that time, meanwhile. Also † a whilst: for a time.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 6417 (Fairf.) Þe quilest moises helde vp his hende Hit was wele in þe batel kende, For ay to quilest witerly Had goddis folk þe ouer maistri. 1595 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. IV. 116, I served a whilest with the late Erle of Leycester. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. iv. ii. 4 Doe it quickly. Ile call sir Toby the whilst. 1613 Beaum. & Fl. Cupid's Rev. ii. v, Go run, And tell the Duke; And whilst I'll close her eyes. 1646 H. Lawrence Commun. Angels 113 If God would doe all, and men might sleepe the whilest. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 228 Alway, except that in the whilest at the first, I lived four years at Padua. c 1672 Roxb. Ball. (1888) VI. 500 Though present you be, all the whilst that they dine. 1683 in 10th Vol. Walpole Soc. (1922) 67 Pray..forget not the proposal of Sr: Yours Really whilst F. Place. 1819 Scott Ivanhoe x, But a small sum; something in hand the whilst. 1895 Jas. Prior Renie xxi, Why don't you send for the p'liceman whilst? |
b. the whilst, conj. phr. (also with that): During the time that, while; † when. Obs. or rare arch.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 2966 (Fairf.) Þe folk ware ful of pride Þe quylest he dwelled ham bi-side. Ibid. 15461 Þe quilist þat ȝe me se him kis Lay hande on him. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 79 Thee whilst fayre Phœbus thee yeers course roundlye reuolued. 1595 Shakes. John iv. ii. 194, I saw a Smith stand with his hammer (thus) The whilst his Iron did on the Anuile coole. 1625 Fletcher & Shirley Nt. Walker i. i, Make your mirth, the whilst I bear my misery. 1798 Anti-Jacobin No. 25 (1799) II. 237 Each his head..Shakes, the whilst his tale is told. |
2. conj. († also with that) = while conj. 1, b, d, whiles 4.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 2085 (Fairf.) He liued lelly quylist he moȝt. Ibid. 5491 Quylest atte Ioseph regned þare His breþer in egipte regnande ware. 1435 Misyn Fire of Love ii. ix. 91 Slike frenschyp is fenyd, for it may not last bot qwhilste lust & profett bydis. c 1450 in Aungier Syon (1840) 308 A clothe, up on the which the professours must lygh prostrat whylst the letany is in syngyng aftyr masse. 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. Ser. i. II. 4 The parliament held quhylest scho wes in Lochlevin. 1579 Lyly Euphues i. P ij b, Whilest that the childe is young, let him be instructed in vertue and lyterature. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. i. i. 186 Ile nere be drunk whilst I liue againe, but in honest, ciuill, godly company. a 1631 Donne Serm., Ps. xxxii. 6 (1640) 597 Woe unto us, if we seeke him not whilest he affords us these helpes. 1635 Jackson Creed viii. viii. 73 During the time of his humiliation here on earth, or whilest hee became hostage for our Redemption. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. 222 The Trees..and Fields are now naked, unless cloathed in white, whilest the Countrey-man sits at home, and enjoyes the Fruit of his past labours. 1703 De Foe More Reform. 12 With lame pretences they revive Those Lines when Dead, he blush'd at whilst alive. 1782 E. N. Blower Geo. Bateman III. 7 All in less time than whilst one could cry—‘A good riddance’. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xxi, Fetch us up a bottle of the Burgundy,..And I say, Craigie, you may fetch up half-a-dozen whilst you are about it. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxv, Be quiet whilst the tempest lasts. 1918 Act 8 & 9 Geo. V c. 17 Sched. i. ii, Such revocation shall not be made whilst the Bill..is pending in either House. |
† b. prep. During. Obs. rare—1.
| 1591 Sparry tr. Cattan's Geomancie 186 Whilest the time that the Emperour Charles the fift was at Nece..I was requested..to make him a fygure. |
3. transf. = while conj. 2 a, b, c.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. vi. 26 Whilest they catche after a vayne reward here, they be disapointed of that, whiche onelye aught to be desyred. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. i. 15 Whilest they [sc. the Stoics] granted to mans power such an excellent and divine disposition, they lift him up in a vain presumption. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. ii. i. 88 His company must do his minions grace, Whil'st I at home starue for a merrie looke. c 1600 ― Sonn. xxxvii. 10, I am not lame, poore, nor dispis'd, Whilst that this shadow doth such substance giue. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. i. 1 There is a place..where..thousands of the Heads of Oxen were digged up, whereat the Ignorant wondred, whilest the Learned well understood them to be the proper Sacrifices to Diana. 1699 Garth Dispens. ii. 20 Portia..Laments her barren Curse, and begs a Son. Whilst Iris, his cosmetick Wash, must try, To make her Bloom revive, and Lovers dye. 1741 Middleton Cicero I. iii. 152 The Knights..considered him as the pride and ornament of their order, whilst he, to ingratiate himself the more with them, affected always..to boast of that extraction. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxix, Whilst her appearance was an utter failure..Mrs. Rawdon Crawley's début was, on the contrary, very brilliant. 1890 L. D'Oyle Notches 4 One day the right leg would be disabled, whilst the next day it would be the left leg that suffered. 1907 Athenæum 3 Aug. 129/2 It is not to be found in the Boston,..or the Congress Libraries, whilst the copy at Harvard is imperfect. |
4. conj. Till, until: = while conj. 3, whiles 5. Obs. exc. dial.
| c 1520 Skelton Magnyf. 324, I pray you, Larges, here to remayne, Whylest I knowe what this letter dothe contayne. Ibid. 685 Tary whylyst that I come agayne. 1594 Greene & Lodge Looking Gl. Lond. 451 My wife might blow whilst she burst. 1653 Cloria & Narcissus i. 308 There to remaine,..whilst she heard some newes of Narcissus. |