5
PHRASE
If you cannot tell the difference between two things, you can say that you do not know
which is which
. □
6any which way → see way
7every which way → see way
which|ever / h w I tʃe və r /
1
DET
You use
whichever
in order to indicate that it does not matter which of the possible alternatives happens or is chosen. □
2
DET
You use
whichever
to specify which of a number of possibilities is the right one or the one you mean. □
whiff / h w I f/ (whiffs )
1
N‑COUNT
[usu sing] If there is a
whiff
of
a particular smell, you smell it only slightly or only for a brief period of time, for example as you walk past someone or something. □ [+
2
N‑COUNT
[usu sing] A
whiff
of
something bad or harmful is a slight sign of it. □ [+
Whig / h w I g/ (Whigs )
1 N‑COUNT A Whig was a member of a British political party in the 18th and 19th centuries that was in favour of political and social changes. [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT In the American Revolution, a Whig was an American who supported the revolution against the British. [AM ]
3 N‑COUNT A Whig was a member of an American political party in the 19th century that wanted to limit the powers of the President. [AM ]
while
➊ CONJUNCTION USES
➋ NOUN AND VERB USES
➊
while
◆◆◆ /
h
wa
I
l/
The form
whilst
is also used in formal or literary English, especially British English.
1
CONJ
If something happens
while
something else is happening, the two things are happening at the same time. □
2
CONJ
If something happens
while
something else happens, the first thing happens at some point during the time that the second thing is happening. □
3
CONJ
You use
while
at the beginning of a clause to introduce information which contrasts with information in the main clause. □
4
CONJ
You use
while
, before making a statement, in order to introduce information that partly conflicts with your statement. □
➋ while ◆◆◇ / h wa I l/ (whiles , whiling , whiled )
→ Please look at categories 3 and 4 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1
N‑SING
A
while
is a period of time. □
2
PHRASE
You use
all the while
in order to say that something happens continually or that it happens throughout the time when something else is happening. □