whiggery 
m hfte nae whiggery in the barony of TiUietudlein —the 
next thing wad be to set up a conventicle in my very with- 
drawing room. Scott, Old Mortality, vii. 
Our friend was ahearty toper in the days of his Whiggery, 
but no sooner turned one of the tautest of Tories than he 
took to the teapot. It seems a thing against nature. 
Socles A-mbrosianse, Sept., 1832. 
wMggification (hwig'i-fi-ka'shon), n. [< whi(fi 
+ -i-Jivittioti.] A making or becoming wliiggish. 
[Humorous.] 
We were all along against the whiggification of the Tory 
System. Nocteg Ainbrosiatue, Sept. ,1832. 
whiggish (hwig'ish), a. [< whiy'i + -is/il.] Of 
or pertaining to whigs, in any application of 
the name ; partaking of the principles of whigs. 
To the shame and grief of every whiggish, loyal, and true 
Protestant heart. Sicift, Polite Conversation, Int. 
whiggishly (hw-ig'ish-li), adv. In a whiggish 
manner. 
Being whiggighly inclined, [Thomas Cox] was deprived 
of that office in Oct., 1G83. Wood, Fasti 0.von., II. 64. 
whiggishness (hwig'ish-nes), 11. The character 
of being whiggish ; whiggery. 
Mr. Walpole has himself that trait of WhiggishJiess 
which peculiarly fits him to paint tlie portraitof the chief 
of the Whigs. The Academy, Nov. 18, 1889, p. 311. 
whiggism (hwig'izm), M. [< H7iiV/3 + .j«»j.] The 
principles of the whigs ; whiggery. 
As if whiggism were an admirable cordial in the mass, 
though the several ingredients are ranit poisons. 
Dryden, Vind. of Dui^e of Guise. 
whigling (hwig'liug), n. [< whUj'^ + -liiig'^.'] 
A whig, in any sense : used in contempt. Spec- 
tator. (Imp. Diet.) 
whigmaleerie, whigmeleerie (hwig-ma-, hwig- 
me-le'ri), >i. [Al.so whiijmalctrij ; origin ob- 
scure; appar. a fantastic name.] Any fan- 
tastical ornament ; a trinket ; a knickknack ; 
also, a whim or crotchet. Also used attribu- 
tively. [Scotch.] 
Some fewer whiipnaleeries in your noddle. 
Bums, Brigs of Ayr. 
Ah! it's a brave kirk — nane o' yere whigmaleeries ?im\ 
carliewurties and oi>en-8teek hems about it — a' solid, 
weel-jointed mason-wark. Scott, Rob Roy, xix. 
I met ane very honest, fair-spoken, weel-put-ori gentle- 
man, . . . that was in the whigtiiateery man's [silver- 
sniith'sl back shop. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, iii. 
whigsMp (hwig'ship), ii. [< «•/»(/» + -sliip.] 
Whiggism. [Uare.J 
People of your cast in politics are fond of vilifying our 
country. Is this your Whigship ? 
Landor, Imag. Conv., Johnson and John Home (Tooke), i. 
whilel (hwil), «. [< ME. wJillr, whil, ii-liylc, ([rile, 
Kile, hwile, < AS. Incil, a time, = OS. hriln = 
OFries. hicile, wile = D. icijl = LG. ici/e = OHG. 
Vila, MHG. inVe, G. tceile, time, period or point 
of time, hour, = Icel. Iirila, jjlace of rest, bed, 
= Sw. hvila = Dan. Iivile, rest, = Goth. Iiweilii, 
a time, season ; perhaps akin toOBulg. 7)o-('/(i7/, 
rest, L. guies, rest: see quiet.] 1. A time; a 
space of time ; especially, a short space of time 
during which something happens or is to hap- 
pen or be done. 
Many a tyme he layd hym downe, 
And sliot another ichyle. 
LyteU Uesle of Jiobyn llode (Chikls liallads, V. 98). 
Yes, signior, thou iirt even he we speak of all this while, 
flctcher {and another), I^ove's Cure, ii. 1. 
In the priijjeval age a dateless ii-hile 
The vacant .Shepherd wandcr'd with his flock. 
Coleridge, Religious Musings. 
2. Time spent upon anything ; expenditure of 
time, and hence of pains or labor; trouble: as, 
to do it is not worth onc'.s ivliile. 
A clerk hadde lithcrly biset [evilly spent] his whgle. 
But if he koudc a carpenter liisyle. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 113. 
If Jelousle doth tliee payne, 
Quytc hym his tchile thus agayne. 
Horn, of the Rose, I. 1392. 
Woe the while 
That brought such wanderer to our isle ! 
Scott, L. of the I,., ii. 15. 
What Cambridge saw not strikes us yet 
As scarcely worth ones while to see. 
Loieell, To Holmes. 
Ala3 the while. See ulm. Every once In a while. 
See ewr.i/l.— In the mean while, see mean-t. 3.— The 
while, the whiles*, during the time soniethiiig else is 
going on: in the mean time: from this ixpression the 
conjunctive use is derived. 
l)o tlie body speke so 
Right as Iiit wrjiied was to do, 
Tlie whi/les that it was on lyve'; 
Chaucer, Death of Ulanche, 1. I.'.l. 
The whiles, witli hollow throates. 
The Choristers the Joyous Antheme sing. 
.Spenser, Epithalamion, 1. 220. 
If youll sit down, 
I'll l)«ar your logs the while. 
Shak., Tempest, iii. 1. 2-1. 
6899 
Worth while, worth the time which it requires ; worth 
the time and pains ; worth the trouble and expense. See 
def. 2, above. 
What fate has disposed of the papers, 'tis not worth 
while to tell. Locke. 
How 1 don't you think it worth while to agree in the 
lie"? Sheridan, School for Scandal, iv. 3. 
■wMlel (hwil), conj. and adv. [< ME. while, 
whil, whijl, hwile, etc. (= MHG. wile, G. well, be- 
cause); abbr. of the orig. phrase t]ie while that, 
< AS. thd hirilc the (MHG. die wile, G. die weil), 
'the while that,'where/i«;j/c is ace. of /(«:(/, while, 
time (other constructions also being used; cf. 
D. terwijl, G. derweil, while, orig. genitive) : see 
while, H.] I. eonj. 1. During or in the time 
that ; as long as. 
Whil I have tyme and space, . . . 
Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun 
To telle yow. Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T. , 1. 35. 
While that the armed hand doth fight abroad. 
The advised head defends itself at home. 
Shak., Hen. V., i. 2. 178. 
While you were catering for Mirabell I have been 
Broaker for you. Congreve, Way of the \\'orld, v. 1. 
White stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand. 
Byron, Childe Harold, iv. 145. 
2. At the same time that : often used adversa- 
tively. 
He wonder'd that your lordship 
Would suffer him to spend his youth at home. 
While other men, of slender reputation. 
Put forth their sons to seek preferment out. 
Shak., T. G. of v., i. 3. 6. 
While we condemn the politics, we cannot but respect 
the principles, of the man. Prescott, Ferd. and Isa. , ii. 25. 
3. Till ; until. [Now prov. Eng. and U. S.] 
We will keep ourself 
Till supper-time alone; while then. Got! be with you ! 
Shak., -Macbeth, iii. 1. 44. 
A younger brother, but in some disgrace 
Now with my friends : and want some little means . 
To keep me upright, while things be reconciled. 
B. Jonson, Devil is an Ass, i. 2. 
At Maltby there lived, some years ago, a retired drug- 
gist. The Ijoys' Sunday-school was confided to his man- 
agement, and he had a way of appealing to them when 
they were disorderly which is still quoted by those who 
often heard it; *' Now, boys, I can't do nothing while you 
are <iuiet." J. Earle. 
~ Syn. 2. While, Though. While implies less of contrast in 
the parallel than though, sometimes, indeed, implying no 
contrast at all. Thus we say, *' WhUe I admire his bravery, 
I esteem his moderation :" but " though I admire his 
courage, I detest his cruelty." 
Il.t "''''• At times ; sometimes ; now and 
then : used in con-elation as while . . . while. 
Compare whilex, ade. 
Godes wrake cumeth on this woreld to wrekende on 
sunfnlle men here gultes, . . . binimeth hem hirile oref 
[cattlel, . . . hwile liere hele [health], & hicile here ogen 
[own] lif. Bel. Antiq., I. 128. 
while'-^ (hwil), r. ; jjret. and pp. whiled, ppr. 
tchiliiig. [< ME.*/Hci7f«,iu comp.i/iici/cH = OHG. 
wiloii, MHG. wilen, sojourn, stay, rest, G. tceileii, 
linger, loiter, stay, = Icel. Iivila = Sw. hiihi = 
Dan. hiile, rest, =Goth. hiceildii, pause a while, 
cease; from the noun, in the orig. sense as in 
Goth. Iiwcild, pause, rest: see while^.} I. trniif:. 
1. To cause to pass; sjiend; consume; kill: 
said of time: usually followed by uwtuj. 
Nor do I beg tliis slender inch, to while 
Tlie time away. Quarlcs, Emblems, iii. 13. 
And all the day 
The weaver plies his slmttle, and whiles away 
Tlie peaceful hours with songs of liattles past. 
/(. //. Stoddard, History. 
2t. To occupy the time of ; busy; detain. 
still lakes, thii-ke woods, and varietie of Continent-ob- 
seruations bane tlms long whiled vs. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 705. 
II. iitti-dii.s. Toitass; clajise, as time. [Rare.] 
Tliey . . . must necessarily fly to new acquisitions of 
beauty to pass away the whiling moments and intervals 
of life ; for with tliem every hour is heavy that is not 
joyful. .Steele, Spectator, No. 522. 
whileast, conj. [< while^ + osl.] While, 
lint Burn cannot his grief asswage, whiteas his dayes en- 
dureth. 
To see the Changes of tliis Age, which day and time pro- 
curetli. 
Siehnl Burn, in Roxburghc Ballads (ed. Eliswortli), VI. 01)8. 
■whilemealt, '"'''■ [ME. whilmele; < while^ + 
-meal as in piecemeal, stoundiiicul, etc.] By 
turns; by courses; at a time. 
He [.Solomon] sente hem into tlie wode, ten thousand 
hi echo monetli whilnit'le, so that two monethis whilmele 
thei weren iji her bowsis. Wyclif, 3 Ki. [1 Ki. ] v. 14. 
whilendt, "• Passing; traiisienl : transitory, 
t'oniiiare while-, v. i. 
For that hwilende lust [there is] endeles pine [pain]. 
Ilali MeidenlMd (E. E. T. S.), p. 26. 
Tin's world fai-etli hwibinde. 
Hwenne on cumetli otiier goth. 
Old Eng. Misc. (ed. Morris), p. 94. 
•wMIom 
'VrMlenesst, «• [ME. whileness ; < while^ + -ncss."] 
Time as vicissitude; transitoriuess ; change. 
[Rare.] 
Anentis whom is not ouerchaunginge, nether schadew- 
ing of whileness, or tyme [tr. L. vicissitudinis obumbratio]. 
Wyclif', Jas. i. 17. 
Thurgh oure might & oure monhod maintene to gedur I 
What whylenes, or wanspede, wryxles [ovei*powers] our 
mynde? Destniciion of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 9327. 
■wMleret (hwil-ar'), ade. [Early mod. E. also 
ichilcare, whyleare ; < ME. while er, whill ere; 
< ichile^ + crel.] A little while ago; hitherto; 
some time ago ; erewhile. 
Whill ere thu l)ad I shuld reche the thy sheld. 
And now me think thu hast nede of on, 
ffor neyther spore ne sheld that thu may weld. 
Generydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2361. 
Whose learned Sluse thou cherisht most whilere. 
L. BryskettiArber's Eng. Garner, I. 278). 
■whiles (hwilz), conj. and adr. [< ME. ichilen, 
whylca, qwylles, etc., adverbial gen. of hwil (reg. 
gen. 7(itij7e), while : see tcftik'l. Cf. whilst.} I.t 
conj. While ; during the time that ; as long as ; 
at the same time that. 
Withowttene changynge in chace, thies ware the cheefe 
armes 
Of Arthure the avenaunt, qwhylles he in erthe lengede. 
Mort£ Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 3662. 
Whiles they are weake, Ijetimes with them contend. 
Spenser, F. Q,, II. iv. 34. 
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles tliou art in 
the way with him. Mat. v. 25. 
II. adv. At times. [Scotch.] 
I tnk his body on my back. 
And whiles I gaed, and whilesl satt. 
The Lament of the Border H'idoic(Child's Ballads, III. 87). 
Mony a time I hae helped Jenny Dennison out o' the 
winnock, forbye creeping in whiles mysell. 
Scott, Old Mortality, xxv. 
whilesast, ronj. [< whiles + fl6'l.] Same as 
tehileas. [Rare.] 
Wliose noble acts renowned were 
Whilesas he lived everywhere. 
Ford, Frame's Memorial, Epitaphs. 
whilk', n. Another form of whclk^, properly 
icelk, Willi. 
whilk^ (hwilk), proii. and o. An obsolete or 
Scotch form of wliich^. 
" What, whilk way is he geen ? " he gan to crie. 
Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 168. 
whilk^ (hwilk), n. The scoter, Uidemia nigra. 
MonUitjii. See cut under «coto'. [Local, Brit.] 
whilly (hwil'i), V. t. ; pret. and pp. whillied, ppr. 
whilli/ing. [A dial, form, perhaps a mi.xture of 
wile'^ with wheedle.'] To cajole by wheedling; 
whilly-wha. [Scotch.] 
These baptized idols of theirs bl-ought pike-staves and 
sandalled shoon from all tlie four winds, and whillied the 
old women out of their corn and their candle-ends. 
Scott, Abbot, xvi. 
whilly-wha, whilly- whaw (hwil'i -hwa), v. 
[Appar. a mere extension of If /((■(///.] I. iiitrans. 
To use cajolery or make wheedling s]ieeches. 
[Scotch.] 
What, man ! the life of a King, and many thousands be- 
sides, is not to be weighed with the chance of two young 
things whilly-whawing in ilk other's ears for a minute. 
Scott, tjuentin Durward, xxxi. 
II, trans. To cajole : wheedle ; delude with 
specious pretenses. [Scotch.] 
\Vylie Mactrickit the writer . . . canna whilli-wha me 
as he 's dune mony a ane. Scott, Old Mortality, xl. 
whilly-wha, whilly-whaw (hwil'i -hwa), «. 
and «. [< whilli/-wha, r.] I. n. A wheedling 
sjjeech ; cajolery. 
I wish ye binna beginning to learn the way of blawing 
in a woman's lug, wi' a' your whilly-wha' s ! 
Scott, Old Mortality, v. 
II. a. Cajoling; wheedling; smooth-tongued. 
[Scotch.] 
Because he 's a whilly-whaw body, and lias a plausible 
tongue of his own, . . . they have made him Provost ! 
Scott, Redgauutlet, xii. 
whilom (hwi'loni), tide, and c<»ij. [Early mod. E. 
also whilome, whi/lome; < ME. whilom, whilome, 
whi/lom, trhiliim, whilein, hwilem, whilen, hwilen, 
wiien,< AS. hwilum, at times, sometimes {hwi- 
lum . . . hwilum, now . . . then), dat. or instr. 
pi. of hteil, time, jioint of time.] I. adi\ 1. At 
times; by times. 
i'ntenderly fro the toppe thai tiltine to-gederz; 
Whilome Arthure over, and other while untlyre. 
ilorte Arthure (E. K. T. S.), 1. 1146. 
2. Once; formerly; once ujion a time. 
Whylom, as olde stories tellen us, 
Ther was a duk that highte Theseus. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 1. 
Here is Trapezonde also, whilome bearing the proude 
name of an Empire. J'urchoK, I'ilgriniage, p. 320. 
For so Apollo, witli unweeting band. 
Whilom did slay liis dearly loved mate. 
Milton, Deatli of a Fair Infant. 
