[f. WHILE sb.
A new formation, having no continuity with early ME. I-HWULEN to have leisure, or connection with the continental forms OHG. wîlôn (MHG. wîlen, G. weilen to stay, linger), ON. hvíla (Sw. hvila, Da. hvile) to rest, Goth. hveilan to pause, cease (cf. WHILE sb. etym.).]
† 1. trans. To occupy or engage (a person) for a time, or for the time; to fill up the time of. Obs.
1606. Bp. Hall, Medit. & Vows, I. § 88. Hee findes not-any worthy employment to while himselfe withall.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VII. xi. 592. The … still Lakes, thicke Woods, and varietie of the Continent-obseruations, haue thus long whiled vs.
a. 1659. Osborn, Misc., Pref. B 8. The First Cause of their projection, being rather, for the intent to While my Selfe, then Busie others.
† 2. with it: To keep it up, ‘stick it out.’ Obs.
a. 1617. Bayne, Lect. (1634), 137. They are poore, not brought up to it, not able to while it, wife and children might begge, [etc.].
3. To cause (time) to pass without wearisomeness; to pass or get through (a vacant time), esp. by some idle or trivial occupation. Also, to divert the attention from, ‘beguile’ (sorrow, pain). Usually, now almost always, with away.
Possibly developed from sense 1 by transference of the object from the person to the time. Association with such phr. as beguile the day, the time (Shaks.), L. diem decipere, F. tromper le temps, has led to the substitution of WILE v. by some modern writers.
1635. Quarles, Embl., III. xiii. 34. Nor do I beg this slender inch, to while The time away, or falsly to beguile My thoughts with joy. Ibid. (a. 1644), Sol. Recant., solil. II. 36. And like a pain-afflicted stripling, play With some new Toy, to while thy grief away.
1706. Bragge, Disc. Parables (ed. 3), I. i. 17. Those … who frequent our Religious Assemblies … to while away the Time that lies useless upon their Hands.
1726. Pope, Lett. to Bethel, 9 Aug. Let us while away this life; and (if we can) meet in another.
1769. Wesley, Wks. (1872), XII. 374. There will be a danger likewise of whiling away time.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, X. iii. Such dangerous expedients to while away chagrin.
a. 1800. Pegge, Anecd. Engl. Lang. (1814), 229. To while away so much time in perusing this Disquisition.
1807. W. Irving, Salmag., No. 13 (1811), II. 75. These moments of mental gloom, whiled away by the cheerful exercise of our pen.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, XII. viii. (Rtldg.), 434. A delightful residence, where he whiled away three weeks.
1813. Byron, Corsair, I. xiv. Then shall my handmaids while the time along.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, ix. When she left her own little room to while away the tedious hours.
1882. Mrs. Raven’s Tempt., I. 5. There was nothing for the young traveller to while the time with.
b. intr. Of time: To pass tediously. Now dial.
1712. [see WHILING ppl. a.].
1898. Hardy, Wessex Poems, 106. All that year and the next year whiled, And I still went thitherward.
† 4. While off: to put (a person) off for the time.
1646. Lockyer, Serm., 31. If you cast them off too, when they have cast off all for you, or if you shall while them off, when they tell you, Sir, this is our last meale in the barrell [etc.].
