n 一段时间，一会儿(period of time)[U，a～]： after a～过了一会儿; once in a～偶尔;every little～时常，有时; take a great～/quite a～to do sth 做某事需要很长/相当长时间; spend a pleasant～度过一段愉快的时间; stay/sit/hesitate/lie down for a～待/坐/犹豫/躺一会儿; I haven't heard from him for a good/long～我很长时间没得到他的消息了。I was teaching for a～and then changed my job. 我教过一段时间的书，然后换了工作。The boy was there a short～ago. 那个孩子方才在那儿。〖同〗time，period;

all this/the while 一直地：What have you been doing all this/the～? 你最近一直在干什么?

worth while 值得费时间做;值得干：The police did not think it worth～to arrest the suspect at this moment. 警察认为现在还不是逮捕这个嫌疑犯的时候。It is worth～taking the trouble. 费事是值得的。We've seen everything that's worth～. 我们已经看了所有值得看的东西。

worth one's while 对某人有利益或不白干： He will make it worth your～. 他会使此事对你有益的。

vi消磨(混)时间(pass time lazily)[I+adv(away)]：～one's time away 消磨掉时间;～away the hours of waiting by going window-shopping 在街上浏览橱窗来打发等候的时间;We～d away a couple of hours playing cards/sitting on the beach/looking at the pictures. 我们打扑克/坐在海滩上/看绘画消磨了几个小时。It's easy to～away the time， busying oneself with work. 忙于工作，时间就很容易过去。〖同〗pass，idle