wile away

  • 1wile — [wīl] n. [ME < Late OE wil < OE wigle, magic, divination, akin to wiglian, to take auspices, wicce, WITCH] 1. a sly trick; deceitful artifice; stratagem 2. a beguiling or coquettish trick usually used in pl. 3. Now Rare craftiness; guile vt …

    English World dictionary

  • 2wile — /wuyl/, n., v., wiled, wiling. n. 1. a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice; device. 2. wiles, artful or beguiling behavior. 3. deceitful cunning; trickery. v.t. 4. to beguile, entice, or lure (usually fol. by away, from,… …

    Universalium

  • 3wile — I. /waɪl / (say wuyl) noun 1. a trick, artifice, or stratagem. 2. (often plural) an artful or beguiling procedure. 3. deceitful cunning; trickery. –verb (t) (wiled, wiling) 4. to beguile, entice, or lure (away, from, into, etc.). {Middle English… …

  • 4wile — [[t]waɪl[/t]] n. v. wiled, wil•ing 1) a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice 2) wiles, artful or beguiling behavior 3) deceitful cunning; trickery 4) to beguile, entice, or lure (usu. fol. by away, from, into, etc.): The… …

    From formal English to slang

  • 5wile — 1. noun a) A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice He was seduced by her wiles. b) tomorrow Syn: beguilement, allurement, ule, wvle S …

    Wiktionary

  • 6wile — waɪl n. trick, cunning; lure, enticement v. plan a scheme; cheat, deceive; tempt, entice; pass time (when used as wile away ) …

    English contemporary dictionary

  • 7Wile — Wile, v. t. 1. To practice artifice upon; to deceive; to beguile; to allure. [R.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] 2. To draw or turn away, as by diversion; to while or while away; to cause to pass pleasantly. Tennyson. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 8wile — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. stratagem, subterfuge, ploy; trick, dodge. See cunning. II (Roget s IV) n. Syn. trickery, deceit, cunning, stratagem, trick, chicanery, dishonesty, plot, ruse, hoax, deception, scheming, dodge,… …

    English dictionary for students

  • 9wile — Synonyms and related words: Italian hand, Machiavellianism, acuteness, allure, ambidexterity, art, artful dodge, artfulness, artifice, astuteness, bad faith, bag of tricks, beguile, bestow, bewitch, blind, bluff, bosey, cageyness, callidity,… …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 10wile — n. & v. n. (usu. in pl.) a stratagem; a trick or cunning procedure. v.tr. (foll. by away, into, etc.) lure or entice. Etymology: ME wil, perh. f. Scand. (ON veacutel craft) …

    Useful english dictionary