the while

English

Etymology

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

Adverb

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

  1. ^ “the while” under “while, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
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