Worth while

Worth while
While While, n. [AS. hw[=i]l; akin to OS. hw[=i]l, hw[=i]la, OFries. hw[=i]le, D. wigl, G. weile, OHG. w[=i]la, hw[=i]la, hw[=i]l, Icel. hv[=i]la a bed, hv[=i]ld rest, Sw. hvila, Dan. hvile, Goth. hweila a time, and probably to L. quietus quiet, and perhaps to Gr. ? the proper time of season. [root]20. Cf. {Quiet}, {Whilom}.] 1. Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time; as, one while we thought him innocent. ``All this while.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

This mighty queen may no while endure. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

[Some guest that] hath outside his welcome while, And tells the jest without the smile. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster]

I will go forth and breathe the air a while. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster]

2. That which requires time; labor; pains. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her while. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

{At whiles}, at times; at intervals. [1913 Webster]

And so on us at whiles it falls, to claim Powers that we dread. --J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]

{The while}, {The whiles}, in or during the time that; meantime; while. --Tennyson.

{Within a while}, in a short time; soon.

{Worth while}, worth the time which it requires; worth the time and pains; hence, worth the expense; as, it is not always worth while for a man to prosecute for small debts. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Worth while — Worth Worth, a. [OE. worth, wur[thorn], AS. weor[eth], wurE; akin to OFries. werth, OS. wer[eth], D. waard, OHG. werd, G. wert, werth, Icel. ver[eth]r, Sw. v[ a]rd, Dan. v[ae]rd, Goth. wa[ i]rps, and perhaps to E. wary. Cf. {Stalwart}, {Ware} an… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • worth-while — worth|while or worth while «WURTH HWYL», adjective. worth time, attention, or effort; having real merit: »He ought to spend his time on some worthwhile reading. SYNONYM(S): valuable, useful. –worth´while´ness, –worth´ while´ness, noun. Usage… …   Useful english dictionary

  • worth|while — or worth while «WURTH HWYL», adjective. worth time, attention, or effort; having real merit: »He ought to spend his time on some worthwhile reading. SYNONYM(S): valuable, useful. –worth´while´ness, –worth´ while´ness, noun. Usage …   Useful english dictionary

  • worth while — worth while, worthwhile The traditional distinction is to use the two word form predicatively (i.e. after a verb, as in The experiment was worth while) and the one word form attributively (i.e. before a noun, as in a worthwhile experiment).… …   Modern English usage

  • worth while — ► worth while (or worth one s while) worth the time or effort spent. Main Entry: ↑while …   English terms dictionary

  • worth while — british phrase another way of writing worthwhile Thesaurus: useful and effective and working correctlysynonym Main entry: worth …   Useful english dictionary

  • worth´-while´ness — worth|while or worth while «WURTH HWYL», adjective. worth time, attention, or effort; having real merit: »He ought to spend his time on some worthwhile reading. SYNONYM(S): valuable, useful. –worth´while´ness, –worth´ while´ness, noun. Usage …   Useful english dictionary

  • worth´while´ness — worth|while or worth while «WURTH HWYL», adjective. worth time, attention, or effort; having real merit: »He ought to spend his time on some worthwhile reading. SYNONYM(S): valuable, useful. –worth´while´ness, –worth´ while´ness, noun. Usage …   Useful english dictionary

  • worth while (or worth one's while) — worth the time or effort spent. → while …   English new terms dictionary

  • worth while — worth (your) while of benefit to you. It would be worth your while to see if you can still get tickets to the show. You could make this trip more worth your while if you arranged to see more than one client …   New idioms dictionary

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