during
during Lexical Profile
during Game Scores & Validity
• preposition
Throughout the entire course or duration of a specified period of time or event.
"Many restaurants along the coast remain closed during the winter months."
At some particular point or interval within the course of a period of time or activity.
"The fire alarm went off unexpectedly during the afternoon lecture."
Word Nuance & Usage
'During' is followed by a noun phrase to indicate *when* something happens (e.g., 'during the summer'), whereas 'for' is used with a measurement of time to indicate *how long* it lasts (e.g., 'for three months'), and 'while' is a conjunction followed by a clause (e.g., 'while I was sleeping').
• Rhymes for during
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'during', the present participle of the obsolete verb 'duren' ('to last, endure'), borrowed from Old French 'durer' and ultimately from Latin 'durare' ('to harden, last'). It evolved from absolute participial constructions (similar to Latin 'durante') meaning 'while [something] lasts'.