while

/waɪl/
verb
  1. To spend time in a relaxed or leisurely way, often passing time.
    • They whiled away the weekend at the beach.
    • We whiled away the afternoon playing board games.
    • She whiled away the hours reading by the fireplace.
noun
  1. A period of time, especially a short or unspecified one.
    • I haven't seen her for a long while.
    • It took a while for the computer to start up.
    • Let's sit down and rest for a while.
conjunction
  1. During the time that; at the same time as.
    • She listened to music while she studied.
    • While I was cooking dinner, the phone rang.
    • He fell asleep while watching the movie.
  2. Although; in spite of the fact that.
    • While I agree with your idea, I think we need more time.
    • While the weather was bad, they still went hiking.
    • While she is young, she is very wise.
  3. Used to contrast two things.
    • While some people love spicy food, others cannot eat it.
    • While cats are independent, dogs need more attention.
    • While the first movie was great, the sequel was disappointing.