Emily Dickinson Lexicon

wherein, conj. [OE.] (webplay: him, yet).

In; inside; within.

whereon, conj. [OE.]

On which.

wheresoe'er, adv. [OE; contraction of “wheresoever.”]

Randomly; carelessly; anywhere; in whatever place.

whet (-s, whetting), v. [OE.]

Grind; rub; wear; whittle.

which, adj. [OE hwelc; pro-form modifying a noun]

What one.

which (wh'), pron. [OE.]

1. Who; that; [acting as a subject in a restrictive relative clause; modifies preceding noun phrase; A does B.]
2. That; [acting as a relative pronoun to introduce a subordinate clause that modifies a preceding noun phrase]
3. Where.
4. That; and this; [acting as a subject for a nonrestrictive relative clause; modifies previous independent clause; A made B possible.]
5. When; the particular time; [acting as a complementizer with preposition for a subordinate clause; modifies previous noun clause; reiterates a previously mentioned time.]
6. After; already; [acting as a subject in a restrictive relative clause; modifies a noun subject.]
7. What one; [acting as a subject in a main clause questions; pro-form for two alternatives.]

whiffletree, n. [unknown.]

Pole; branch; bar which connects a carriage to a horse; [fig.] zone; center; latitude; horizon; map coordinate.

while, conj. [OE hwíle < abbr. þá hwíle þe, during the time that; see while, n.] (webplay: during, experience, life, pains, pass, pleasantly, rest, remain, sleep, thought, time, worth).

1. When; [indicating a former state of existence.]
2. As long as; [for the duration of a specified amount of time.]
3. And at the same time; [a juxtaposition of similar ideas; the two things associated by the conjunction are being compared.]
4. But at the same time; [a juxtaposition of opposite ideas; the two things associated by the conjunction are being contrasted.]
5. Because of which; [indicates a cause-and-effect relationship.]
6. Because; [indicates a causal relationship.]
7. At the time; during the period of time; [the two things conjoined by the conjunction have a temporal relation to each other.]
8. Although; whereas.

while, n. [OE hwíl, time < IE qwi- rest, quiet.] (webplay: see while, conj.).

1. Amount of time.
2. Phrase. “The while”: for the duration; throughout the entire time.
3. Phrase. “All the while”: the whole time.

whim, n. [From whim-wham, compare flim-flam, jim-jam, trim-tram; applied to trivial things; compare also ON hvimsa, to wander with eyes as with the fugitive look of a frightened or silly person.]

1. Preference; favorite; [fig.] criterion; way of knowing.
2. Fancy; desire; impulse; capricious choice.