To Wile
- To entice or lure
- Archaic form of while (“to pass the time”)
| Derived terms |
bewile
outwile
| Usage notes |
The phrase meaning to pass time idly is while away. We can trace the meaning in an adjectival sense for while back to Old English, hwīlen, "passing, transitory". It is also seen in whilend, "temporary, transitory". But since wile away occurs so often, it is now included in many dictionaries.