handwhile

H4A1N1D2W4H4I1L1E1

noun

A little while; a moment, an instant.

OriginMiddle English handwhile ← Old English handhwīl →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nounhandwhile (plural handwhiles)

plural handwhiles · alternative hand-while

  1. obsoleteA little while; a moment, an instant.

    Yea, mine owne sayings are every hand-while alleadged against my selfe, when God wot I perceive it not.

    , II.17

Origin

  1. Old Englishhandhwīl“an instant”
  2. Middle Englishhandwhile
  3. Englishhandwhile

From Middle English handwhile, from Old English handhwīl (“an instant”), equivalent to hand + while. Cognate with Middle High German hantwile (“handwhile”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

handwhile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwhile

MLA

“handwhile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwhile. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “handwhile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handwhile.

Source: handwhile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.