Well vs. While

Welladverb

(manner) Accurately, competently, satisfactorily.

‘He does his job well.’;

Whilenoun

An uncertain duration of time, a period of time.

‘He lectured for quite a long while.’;

Welladverb

(manner) Completely, fully.

‘a well done steak’; ‘We’re well beat now.’;

Whileconjunction

During the same time that.

‘He was sleeping while I was singing.’;

Welladverb

(degree) To a significant degree.

‘That author is well known.’;

Whileconjunction

Although.

‘This case, while interesting, is a bit frustrating.’;

Welladverb

Very (as a general-purpose intensifier).

Whileconjunction

Until.

‘I'll wait while you've finished painting.’;

Welladverb

In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously.

Whileconjunction

As long as.

‘While you're at school you may live at home.’;

Welladjective

In good health.

‘I had been sick, but now I'm well.’;

Whilepreposition

Until.

Welladjective

(hypercorrect) Good, content.

‘“How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!”’;

Whileverb

(transitive) To pass (time) idly.

Welladjective

(archaic) Prudent; good; well-advised.

Whileverb

To loiter.

Wellinterjection

Used to acknowledge a statement or situation.

‘“The car is broken.” “Well, we could walk to the movies instead.”’; ‘“I didn't like the music.” “Well, I thought it was good.”’; ‘“I forgot to pack the tent! Well, I guess we're sleeping under the stars tonight.”’;

Whilenoun

Space of time, or continued duration, esp. when short; a time; as, one while we thought him innocent.

‘This mighty queen may no while endure.’; ‘[Some guest that] hath outside his welcome while,And tells the jest without the smile.’; ‘I will go forth and breathe the air a while.’;

Wellinterjection

An exclamation of surprise, often doubled or tripled.

‘Well, well, well, what do we have here?’;

Whilenoun

That which requires time; labor; pains.

‘Satan . . . cast him how he might quite her while.’; ‘And so on us at whiles it falls, to claimPowers that we dread.’;

Wellinterjection

An exclamation of indignance.

‘Well! There was no need to say that in front of my mother!’;

Whileverb

To cause to pass away pleasantly or without irksomeness or disgust; to spend or pass; - usually followed by away.

‘The lovely lady whiled the hours away.’;

Wellinterjection

Used in speech to express the overcoming of reluctance to say something.

‘It was a bit... well... too loud.’;

Whileverb

To loiter.

Wellinterjection

Used in speech to fill gaps; filled pause.

‘“So what have you been doing?” “Well, we went for a picnic, and then it started raining so we came home early.”’;

Whileconjunction

During the time that; as long as; whilst; at the same time that; as, while I write, you sleep.

‘Use your memory; you will sensibly experience a gradual improvement, while you take care not to overload it.’;

Wellinterjection

(Hiberno-English) Used as a greeting

‘Well lads. How's things?’;

Whileconjunction

Hence, under which circumstances; in which case; though; whereas.

Wellnoun

A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.

Whilepreposition

Until; till.

‘I may be conveyed into your chamber;I'll lie under your bed while midnight.’;

Wellnoun

A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring.

Whilenoun

a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition;

‘he was here for a little while’; ‘I need to rest for a piece’; ‘a spell of good weather’; ‘a patch of bad weather’;

Wellnoun

A small depression suitable for holding liquid or other objects.

‘Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk.’;

While

While is a word in the English language that functions both as a noun and as a subordinating conjunction. Its meaning varies largely based on its intended function, position in the phrase and even the writer or speaker's regional dialect.

Wellnoun

(figurative) A source of supply.

Wellnoun

(nautical) A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate.

Wellnoun

(nautical) The cockpit of a sailboat.

Wellnoun

(nautical) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported to market.

Wellnoun

(nautical) A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water.

Wellnoun

(military) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

Wellnoun

(architecture) An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

Wellnoun

The open space between the bench and the counsel tables in a courtroom.

Wellnoun

(metalworking) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls.

Wellnoun

A well drink.

‘They're having a special tonight: $1 wells.’;

Wellnoun

(video games) The playfield of Tetris and similar video games, into which the blocks fall.

Wellnoun

(biology) In a microtiter plate, each of the small equal circular or square sections which serve as test tubes.

Wellverb

(intransitive) To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.

Wellverb

(intransitive) To have something seep out of the surface.

‘Her eyes welled with tears.’;

Wellnoun

An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain.

‘Begin, then, sisters of the sacred well.’;

Wellnoun

A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form, and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth from caving in.

‘The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.’;

Wellnoun

A shaft made in the earth to obtain oil or brine.

Wellnoun

Fig.: A source of supply; fountain; wellspring.

‘Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled.’; ‘A well of serious thought and pure.’;

Wellnoun

An inclosure in the middle of a vessel's hold, around the pumps, from the bottom to the lower deck, to preserve the pumps from damage and facilitate their inspection.

Wellnoun

A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

Wellnoun

An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

Wellnoun

The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls.

Wellverb

To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.

‘From his two springs in Gojam's sunny realm,Pure welling out, he through the lucid lakeOf fair Dambea rolls his infant streams.’;

Wellverb

To pour forth, as from a well.

Welladverb

In a good or proper manner; justly; rightly; not ill or wickedly.

‘If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.’;

Welladverb

Suitably to one's condition, to the occasion, or to a proposed end or use; suitably; abundantly; fully; adequately; thoroughly.

‘Lot . . . beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere.’; ‘WE are wellable to overcome it.’; ‘She looketh well to the ways of her household.’; ‘Servant of God, well done! well hast thou foughtThe better fight.’;

Welladverb

Fully or about; - used with numbers.

‘Well nine and twenty in a company.’;

Welladverb

In such manner as is desirable; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favorably; advantageously; conveniently.

‘KnowIn measure what the mind may well contain.’; ‘All the world speaks well of you.’;

Welladverb

Considerably; not a little; far.

‘Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age.’;

Welladjective

Good in condition or circumstances; desirable, either in a natural or moral sense; fortunate; convenient; advantageous; happy; as, it is well for the country that the crops did not fail; it is well that the mistake was discovered.

‘It was well with us in Egypt.’;

Welladjective

Being in health; sound in body; not ailing, diseased, or sick; healthy; as, a well man; the patient is perfectly well.

‘Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake?’;

Welladjective

Being in favor; favored; fortunate.

‘He followed the fortunes of that family, and was well with Henry the Fourth.’;

Welladjective

Safe; as, a chip warranted well at a certain day and place.

Wellnoun

a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine

Wellnoun

a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid

Wellnoun

an abundant source;

‘she was a well of information’;

Wellnoun

an open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a stairway)

Wellnoun

an enclosed compartment in a ship or plane for holding something as e.g. fish or a plane's landing gear or for protecting something as e.g. a ship's pumps

Wellverb

come up;

‘Tears well in her eyes’;

Welladjective

in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury;

‘appears to be entirely well’; ‘the wound is nearly well’; ‘a well man’; ‘I think I'm well; at least I feel well’;

Welladjective

resulting favorably;

‘its a good thing that I wasn't there’; ‘it is good that you stayed’; ‘it is well that no one saw you’; ‘all's well that ends well’;

Welladjective

wise or advantageous and hence advisable;

‘it would be well to start early’;

Welladverb

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well');

‘the children behaved well’; ‘a task well done’; ‘the party went well’; ‘he slept well’; ‘a well-argued thesis’; ‘a well-planned party’; ‘the baby can walk pretty good’;

Welladverb

thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form;

‘The problem is well understood’; ‘she was well informed’; ‘shake well before using’; ‘in order to avoid food poisoning be sure the meat is well cooked’; ‘well-done beef’; ‘well-satisfied customers’; ‘well-educated’;

Welladverb

indicating high probability; in all likelihood;

‘I might well do it’; ‘a mistake that could easily have ended in disaster’; ‘you may well need your umbrella’; ‘he could equally well be trying to deceive us’;

Welladverb

(used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully;

‘a book well worth reading’; ‘was well aware of the difficulties ahead’; ‘suspected only too well what might be going on’;

Welladverb

to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree;

‘the project was well underway’; ‘the fetus has well developed organs’; ‘his father was well pleased with his grades’;

Welladverb

favorably; with approval;

‘their neighbors spoke well of them’; ‘he thought well of the book’;

Welladverb

to a great extent or degree;

‘I'm afraid the film was well over budget’; ‘painting the room white made it seem considerably (or substantially) larger’; ‘the house has fallen considerably in value’; ‘the price went up substantially’;

Welladverb

with great or especially intimate knowledge;

‘we knew them well’;

Welladverb

with prudence or propriety;

‘You would do well to say nothing more’; ‘could not well refuse’;

Welladverb

with skill or in a pleasing manner;

‘she dances well’; ‘he writes well’;

Welladverb

in a manner affording benefit or advantage;

‘she married well’; ‘The children were settled advantageously in Seattle’;

Welladverb

in financial comfort;

‘They live well’; ‘she has been able to live comfortably since her husband died’;

Welladverb

without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor;

‘took the joke well’; ‘took the tragic news well’;