bide one's time



bide one's time

Wait for the opportune moment, as in The cat sat in front of the mousehole, biding its time. This phrase employs the verb to bide in the sense of "to wait for," a usage dating from about a.d. 950 and surviving mainly in this locution.
See also: bide, time

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Khan-Urdu, Pashto
Leofsige-Anglo-Saxon
Nthanda-Southern African, Tumbuka
PedroPE-dro (Spanish)Spanish, Portuguese
AeschylusES-kəl-əs (English)Ancient Greek (Latinized)
SelaSEE-lə (English)Biblical