Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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adj
At some time in the past; former, sometime.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Qualifier: archaic except literary
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: erstwhile, quondam, antecedent, anterior, earlier, ex, foregone, former, hitherto, old, olden, past, preceding, precedent, previous, prior, sometime, used-to-be, whilom
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of a person: deceased, late.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: asleep, at rest, blessed, cadaverous, clay-cold, deceased, resting, decomposed, defunct, departed, expired, extinct, fey, gone, good, inanimate, inert, kaput, killed, late, lifeless, living impaired, low, no longer with us, no more, perished, reposing, six feet deep, six feet under, stiff, unalive, unalived, wasted, whilom, with God
Antonyms: none provided
adv
At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Qualifier: archaic except literary
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: afore, aforehand, already, antecedently, at one time, before, beforehand, beforetime, ere, erenow, erewhile, erstwhile, erstwhiles, foretime, formerly, in advance, in the past, late, once, precedently, previously, sometime, sometimes, therebefore, while, whilere, whilom, yestertide, yestertime, yet
Antonyms: none provided
adv
At times, on occasion, sometimes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: at times, ever and anon, every once in a while, every now and then, every so often, from time to time, intermittently, irregularly, now and again, now and then, occasionally, on occasion, once in a while, sometimes, sporadically, uncommonly, while, whilom
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
conj
During the same time that; while.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Up to the time that; till, until.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: 'til, till, until, unto, while, whilom
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English whilom (“(adverb) at one time, formerly, once; once upon a time; at times, sometimes; at a future time; (conjunction) while”) [and other forms], from Old English hwīlum, hwīlan, hwīlon (“at one time, once; sometimes”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlum, the dative plural of *hwīlu (“period of time, time, while; period of rest, pause”), from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (“period of time, time, while; period of rest, pause”), from Proto-Indo-European *kwyeh1- (“to rest; peace, rest”). The Oxford English Dictionary regards adverb sense 2.2 (“for some time that has passed”) as “aberrant”. Cognates * Old High German hwīlōn (Middle High German wīlen, wīlent, German weiland (“at one time, formerly”)) * Old Saxon hwīlon (“sometimes”) (Middle Dutch wilen, Middle Low German wilen (“at one time, formerly”), Dutch wijlen (“deceased, late”))
