Chapter Whether to Whilom of W by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Whilere
(Whil`ere") adv. [While + ere] A little while ago; recently; just now; erewhile. [Obs.]

Helpeth me now as I did you whilere.

Chaucer.

He who, with all heaven's heraldry, whilere
Entered the world.

Milton.

Whiles
(Whiles) adv. [See While, n., and -wards.]

1. Meanwhile; meantime. [R.]

The good knight whiles humming to himself the lay of some majored troubadour.

Sir. W. Scott.

2. sometimes; at times. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

The whiles. See under While, n.

Whiles
(Whiles), conj. During the time that; while. [Archaic] Chaucer. Fuller.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.

Matt. v. 25.

Whilk
(Whilk) n. [See Whelk a mollusk.]

1. (Zoöl.) A kind of mollusk, a whelk. [Prov. Eng.]

2. (Zoöl.) The scoter. [Prov. Eng.]

Whilk
(Whilk), pron. Which. [Obs. or Scot.]

Whilk is sometimes used in Chaucer to represent the Northern dialect.

Whilom
(Whi"lom) adv. [AS. hwilum, properly, at times, dative pl. of hwil; akin to G. weiland formerly, OHG. hwilom, See While, n.] Formerly; once; of old; erewhile; at times. [Obs. or Poetic] Spenser.

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us,
There was a duke that highte Theseus.

Chaucer.