tell time vs while

tell time

verb
  • to measure time, to determine the current time 

  • to read the time as displayed on a clock 

while

verb
  • To pass (time) idly. 

  • To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass. 

noun
  • an uncertain long period of time 

  • an uncertain short moment 

  • An uncertain duration of time, a period of time. 

conj
  • As long as. 

  • Until. 

  • During the same time that. 

  • Used to denote an individual experiencing racial profiling when performing a seemingly benign activity. 

  • Although. 

prep
  • Until. 

How often have the words tell time and while occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )